LSAC Exam LSAT Topic 1 Question 33 Discussion

King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette ruled France from 1774 to 1789, a timewhen the country was fighting bankruptcy. The royal couple did not let France's insecurefinancial situation limit their immoderate spending, however. Even though the minister offinance repeatedly warned the king and queen against wasting money, they continued tospend great fortunes on their personal pleasure. This lavish spending greatly enraged thepeople of France. They felt that the royal couple bought its luxurious lifestyle at the poorpeople's expense.Marie Antoinette, the beautiful but exceedingly impractical queen, seemed uncaring abouther subjects; misery. While French citizens begged for lower taxes, the queen embellishedher palace with extravagant works of art. She also surrounded herself with artists, writers,and musicians, who encouraged the queen to spend money even more profusely.While the queen's favorites glutted themselves on huge feasts at the royal table, manypeople in France were starving. The French government taxed the citizens outrageously.These high taxes paid for the entertainments the queen and her court so enjoyed. When theminister of finance tried to stop these royal spendthrifts, the queen replaced him. Theintense hatred that the people felt for Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette kept building untilit led to the French Revolution. During this time of struggle and violence (1789-1799),thousands of aristocrats, as well as the king and queen themselves, lost their lives at theguillotine. Perhaps if Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette had reined in their extravagantspending, the events that rocked France would not have occurred.