The French Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

The French Revolution - Essay Example The position of women in England was however, somewhat different and this attitude also spilt over into the response to the French revolution. In England, the position of women during this period was still largely subordinate to the male sex; as a result, the writers who supported the French revolution were accused of aligning themselves with the perceived low morals of Frenchwomen who participated in the carnage. Marie Antoinette was executed in October 1793, and the allegations of lesbianism and incestuous attacks on her son also contributed to the general perception in England that French women were scandalous and that their conduct was not to be emulated under any circumstances. Marie Antoinette was viewed by the French working class as the Austrian hussy, who frittered away the money that the peasants paid in taxes and this unfavourable view was also shared by people in other parts of the world, such as England. In this aspect, both the poets Williams and Yearsley are similar in that both of them were viewed unfavourably in England, as writers who were in support of the French Revolution. Although Williams’s first hand view of the French Revolution was horror at the carnage, her works on the whole, demonstrated a support for the ideals and motivation of the common people, which led to the revolution.