The French Revolution's 'Angel of Assassination' | Charlotte Corday
VloĆŸit
- Äas pĆidĂĄn 10. 06. 2023
- Death was everywhere in during the French Revolution, but none was more shocking than the assassination of Jean-Paul Marat - because it was carried out by a woman. Charlotte Corday committed political murder though her own agency, changing ideas about the place of women in politics and the revolution, becoming known to some as 'The Angel of Assassination'...
If you like my videos, consider sponsoring me via Patreon here! You can watch selected videos before they go on CZcams, take part in exclusive polls, and even create fan requests! / historysforgottenpeople
Sources and Related Books:
Citizens: A Chronicle of The French Revolution by Simon Schama - amzn.to/3WY1UTS
The Angel of the Assassination by Marjorie Bowen - amzn.to/43PN6ZF
The Story of Charlotte Corday by Anna Jameson - amzn.to/3N37lfI
Jean Paul Marat: Tribune of the French Revolution by Clifford D. Conner - amzn.to/3CmcVoD
The above book links are affiliate links, and by clicking and buying a book, you're helping support this channel. Thank you very much! đ
For my images and footage, thanks to:
Pexels
Pixabay
Wikimedia Commons, especially:
Xandru
Evan Bench
Sylvain Lumbroso (and M. Patou, owner of Corday's former home)
Some of my images in this video were made with Midjourney
I strive to always credit everyone whose images I use, and try as much as possible to use images freely in the public domain (purchased where not possible) - please let me know if I have missed you so I can give you due credit. - ZĂĄbava
Thank you for watching! đ What are your thoughts on what Charlotte did? Was she a terrible murderer? Or a well-meaning saviour?
Somewhere in between. The killing of what was, at the time, a crippled man, was bad, no excuses. And also her given excuse was that of every political assassin or extremist or terrorrist. However, I do get what she thought and tried to do, and, being against violence, can not but condemn Maratâs actions. Of course, by those same morals, I can also not but condemn hers.
And she surely didnât complete her mission. As Lindsay Holiday said in her video on âRoyal Assassinationsâ, âviolence can only bequeath more violenceâ, and so it was in Charlotte and Maratâs case, starting with her own execution, passing through the reign of terror, and, ultimately, Napoleon himself!
@@lfgifu296 I agree with this - although I think her intentions were probably good, she did ultimately kill a man, and that hasn't got any good excuse attached, as you say.
@@lfgifu296 Oh, absolutely! Her actions allowed Robespierre and his followers to turn the death of a man of decreasing importance alive, into a paragon of (in their eyes) republican values as a dead man. I remember a long, long time ago when I started my history degree that we had a discussion on where you actually started when discussing a person or event. Basically, you just have to pick a point, because if you kept following everything all the way back, it's a chain reaction of wars and bad decisions!
@@HistorysForgottenPeople exactly! she meant well, but did it wrong, killing violence with- guess what? yep, more violence. Still, I get what she did, as I donât much like Marat- but, if you think about it, he too was acting âfor the good of the peopleâ, as he saw it, but the brutality with which he did it was immense. I also agree with Charlotteâs view that the Royals were good people, but not fitted for the job- truly not haha
Marat was a monster and a mass murderer. It is a shame to the men of France in that day that none of them did what Charlotte Corday did.
Well, as I've said in another comment, I can never fully agree with what Charlotte did, as I feel allowing some kinds of violence in the name of 'good' is always a slippery slope.
BUT Marat was not a good person, and I do understand the reasons behind what Charlotte did, even if I don't agree with how she reacted. There also wasn't a political place for women at that time to take part in other ways.
@History's Forgotten People life is full of trade-offs. If you always punish those who try to save us from monsters, you lose the right to complain when an evil one runs around stabbing toddlers and no one does anything to stop it. Looking at you, Annecy France.
Charlotte is one of my favourite people in the time of the french revolution, thank you as always superb narration and presentation.
Charlotte in my opinon it was a well meaning act she she gave her life for her country she was a remarkable lady.
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! đ She was certainly a complex person - on the one hand, she killed a man, but on the other, she thought she was doing it for her country. It's a difficult one to balance.
@@HistorysForgottenPeople I totaly agree it's hard one to call she did what she thought was right but you can't fault her courage she didn't try to escape, many people will have an opinion history will have the final say.
Behold, historical characters are most searched after 2015 thanks to a game
âWait a minute this isnât a list of enemies⊠it just says yippie-ki-yay motherf- OOOOOHHHHH!â
I would pay good money to see that film/play! đ
Ooooh love this! I study Art History and went into depth on the painting âLe mort du Maratâ. The symbolism is uncanny. I am not much of a fan of Neoclassical art, but Lord, is that a masterpiece! The knife on the floor while the writing feather is firm on his hand, his serene face, the piece of wood reading âĂ Maratâ, Goodness!
It's a really simple, but definitely effective painting. (Simple as in composition, obviously the work itself is incredible!) I must admit, I've seen it before but not really known what it was about, so it was so interesting to not only understand its symbolism, but also the behind-the-scenes work that David had to do alongside the embalmers for that pose, instead of simply using another person as a model. Apparently even the letter on top of the piece of wood, with the money, is a letter addressed to a Frenchwoman who lost her husband at (I think) the Storming of the Tuileries, and Marat is supposedly sending her the money for her two children.
â @@HistorysForgottenPeopleI didnât know that! It really is very good! Yes, despite being incredibly well done technically, it wouldnât appeal that much to me were it not for the symbolism (I am more a Baroque and Rococo type of woman ;)
@@lfgifu296 I almost feel the need to say, "If it ain't Baroque, don't fix it", but I wouldn't dare tell such a terrible joke! đ
@@HistorysForgottenPeopleThy shanât dare hahađ
Simon Schama discusses the artist Jacques Louis David. He gives a lot of background information. It is a very good episode of his series, The Power of Art.
My favorite book about the Terror is called Dancing to the Precipice, itâs based on the diary of Madame de la Tour du Pin. Excellent video! As usual the best narration on CZcams.
Thank you so much, that's kind of you to say! đ And I'll have to look that book up (great title!), another one to add to the shelves.
Charlotte Corday....France's greatest heroine.
She did what no man dared to do......and saved thousands of lives.
unfortunately that isn't true and what she tried to do actually backfired! Not that I blame her, she had good intentions and wasn't thinking that everything might turn worse.
But unfortunately, after killing Marat, people worse than him gained the power and by executing Charlotte, way to behead women was also free for revolutionaries, which leaded to queen's death, years of war with half of Europe and so many other women!
Poor Charlotte, she died for absolutely nothing in the outcome
Corday's heroism is debatable, but I think France's greatest heroine is Joan of Arc, personally
My favourite bronze Assassin.
I must admit, I'd never heard of that game until I did this video, but she seems to be a really popular character with players! đ I mostly remember her from Assassin's Creed: Unity, although the character didn't have a big part.
@@HistorysForgottenPeopleIâm surprised you knew what I was talking about, Type-Moon/Lasengle and Takao Aotsuki obviously based her design on La mort de Marat by Jean-Jacques Hauer.
Great job with the video. đ€đ You, History Calling, Kings of France,Jon, and Back to history are the best !
Agree with HC, HFP and Jon! Though I also love History Tea Time with Lindsay Holiday. I know she lacks the in depth research of HFP or HC, but in her own way, her videos are amazing too :)
Thank you so much! It means so much when you guys enjoy my videos so much. đ
Such a fascinating story during a very bloody but intriguing time period. Thanks for covering it & fantastic work (BTW 20:39 I didnât know about that one đź).
Thank you! It's certainly bloodier than my usual stuff, but I think she's a really overlooked figure who did have a big impact on the Revolution.
And yes, it made me rather queasy to know about the autopsy! Or rather, the reasons behind it. đ€ą
Happy Birthday Charlotte.
Charlotte wasa woman who believed that her act would ease the unnecessary killings of the ordinary citizens of France especially in Paris.
What amazes me is her conviction of her act to kill a Jacobin murderer and political figure.
She certainly chaged the waywomen were viewed as assassins.
I admire her courage.
The anarchists of late 19th and early 20 th centuries would surely appalaud her heroism akin to Emma Goldman's conviction of political violence although Emma was no murderer.
If there is a God of Christianity then Charlotte Corday will deservedly have a place in heaven for her courage and compassion in confronting and killing Marat, a Jacobin extremist who was calling for the execution by the tens of thousands of innocent French men and women.
Well, (only my personal opinion) I can never fully be okay with what Charlotte did, only because I think allowing vigilantes to even politically murder people is a very dangerous tightrope to walk.
BUT, as you say, Charlotte certainly didn't do it from a malicious place, but because she genuinely believed she was going to end the bloodshed by killing Marat. Of course, the snake usually turns out to be a hydra, and there were so many others willing to use his death to continue with the violence.
@@HistorysForgottenPeople Good point. It's that hydra effect that we have to keep in mind. My Guy Fawkes mask wearing friends enjoy heaping scorn on me but I'm determined not to cause any more violence and destruction than I already have.
@Philip You're right, and it's as much a difficult question now as it was then. But the more we look at history, the more it becomes a tit for tat game of violence, kicking off wars and changing leaders. I know that's an oversimplification, and as I said, I do understand why Charlotte did what she did, even if I could never fully agree with it. Her heart was in the right place, and she perhaps couldn't see any other way to remove Marat.
Or would the God of Christianity be displeased that she had violated the sixth commandment and failed to love and forgive those who 'know not what they do' as the Christ did in his human incarnation? What's a poor human to do?
What is the hogus bogus gibberish trash that you wrote that betrays the severe damage that you suffer from in your prefrontal cortex to the extent that you hardly have a vegetative mind to live with that is why you are writing laughable foolishness. Stop blaspheming like a rabid dog who licks his own vomit. Of course, The Powerful Ever Living God Jesus Christ exists and He us Almighty and able, so don't bring God's Name in vain. As for Charlotte Corday, she did a great service to humanity by killing this bloody criminal called marat who caused the death of many innocent people and brought about the reign of terror.
Hi, awesome live history video I enjoyed it. How are you? I'm doing well. Have a great day see you next video. Your history videos are always enjoyable đ
Thank you, Michelle! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. đ
A fascinating and intriguing story. Charlotte was such a fearless, courageous and determined woman of her times. Love your channel đ
Thank you so much! đ And you're right, Charlotte was absolutely courageous and fearless - but of course, then there is the argument that she was also a murderer. I never really knew much about her story before doing the video, but it surprised me that it isn't looked at more often. There's so many layers to what happened.
@@HistorysForgottenPeople I didn't know much either and I appreciate your excellent content. There are many layers indeed, considering politics and circumstances throughout history. She took his life and that could make her a murderer but no more than him who was responsible for mass executions, regardless the circumstances. Thank you đ
So interesting. To answer the question, but without knowing her, I think she was a bit of both. And it's a doubly curious bit of irony that she was offered the services of a priest by the revolutionaries but declined. That's called having the courage of your convictions (on her part). Wonderful graphics too. Many thanks.
I think you're right - she was horrified when it was suggested she was a murderer, which perhaps says a lot about how Charlotte viewed herself in the role she took, but she HAD murdered a man. And certainly, there were as many praised what she did as those who condemned it. And yes, she absolutely lived her convictions, right until the end.
More than one eyewitness also said she was perfectly calm on her way to the guillotine, only going pale for a second when she saw the blade. When the executioner tried to keep the crowds away to keep her safe (from his memoirs, he was quite admiring of her courage in the face of death), Charlotte went breezily up the steps by herself to the platform.
If only she had been patient I think he would have earned a place on the guillotine too. I never advocate for fatal retributions and always try to let another pass judgement. It's really difficult to get through the day without judging someone or being a hypocrite. It may be a reason why some end up being hermits.
Marquis de Sade gave the eulogy for Murat at the Cordeliers.
I think you might be right that he eventually would have end up on te guillotine too, as did Robespierre. Charlotte apparently had read a Girondin article back in Caen which called upon someone to 'kill the monster Marat', and it seems Charlotte thought she should take up the mantle for it.
Alas, the violence got worse after killing marat.
Her ideas were good, educated person but even killing a monster person shall not be accepted under any circumstance.
Of course I might be seen as an idillical person as at those times it was kill or be killed.
Well maybe she didn't plan that well as she have been escaped.
She chosen the path of heroes. Maybe she succeeded in this aspect as we are still talking about her nowadays.
It's true, her actions actually created a pathway for the more radical revolutionaries to point to Marat's death as a reason for greater 'crowd control'. I agree with you, in that I believe in talking before using violence, but I can also see that it was difficult for Charlotte to have used any other platform, as French politics were completely closed off to women at that time.
@@HistorysForgottenPeople unfortunatelly women didn't exist at that time, not even now in some cultures.
Note that I'm a man but I strongly believe that women, the basis of human nature, shall have the same social rights as men. Why just social ? Because they are far superior to men.
A man cannot give birth, doesn't know all the breeding inside struggle, the birth...
Yes, Charlotte had a powerful statement understood centuries after.
Being a woman, she could have been condamned to prison for life and after the fall of robespierre probably she would have been freed.
A nice face lost to the backdays terror.
That's why, althought punisment shall exist, I'm against death penaly.
One can never revive the person.
That guy must have really pissed her off. She knew she would loose her comfortable life as a noble.
im a bit late but wow! what a legend of a woman. so brave!! thank you as always for the great video miranda!!!
You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it! đ Charlotte really was brave. As a blanket rule, I'm not usually on the side of anyone committing a crime like this, but I could see how she had been pushed to it.
Viva la Charlotte - Corday!!!
Question time!! :)
While weâre on the topic of âartâ, what would you say is your favourite period of art history?
I'm afraid, for someone who loves going deep into the past, it's not from too long ago! đ I LOVE Art Deco. It was so modern and optimistic after WWI, and even though it obviously continued on into WWII, the whole movement was elegant and simple. It's my dream to one day own a house built from that era.
@@HistorysForgottenPeopleOh, interesting choice! I must admit I donât like it much (sorry :â), though architectural wise it is interesting! It is an amazing expression of the 20s optimistic spirit!
@@HistorysForgottenPeopleersonally, I LOVE the romanesque styleđ I canât even explain why, I mean, it is objectively ugly and robust, but I adore it passionately! I also, however, love the Baroque, as I said, especially when it comes to sculpture (my favourite period sculpture wise) and the Impressionism (painting wise) the Impressionism truly impresses (dad joke ;) me- I canât even describe it! Itâs visual ecstasy! I think the best way to show my love for it it the nearly 100 euros I spent ok books on Impressionism last yearđ
@@lfgifu296 Haha, no need to be sorry, art is definitely subjective! (I admit I struggle a little with some 'modern' art).
Psychopath? Narcissist? Certainly a grand stander. Definitely not a heroine. How can murder correct murder?
I agree, in that I always think violence begets violence, you're right. But it is a little more nuanced in that this wasn't a normal time to be living through, and Charlotte genuinely believed she was doing something to save many others. I personally don't agree with what she did, but I can understand her motivation - it's not as though women had any place politically they could use.
@@HistorysForgottenPeople All the more tragic, then. Your point is well taken: it's really too bad that Charlotte had no political outlet or standing.
As for the period just before the French Revolution being an unusual time: certainly so! Based on the emotions invested in our current political upheaval, I'm concerned that some may forget their humanity in favor of their cause. Begging the question: have people changed at all in 250-odd years?
@Marianne B. Honestly, I don't believe people have changed much in many hundreds of years! I always tell myself the upside of that is also that we're capable of enormously good and kind things as well, and hopefully that will win out in the end.
@@HistorysForgottenPeople đđ
unfortunately people of France (Paris mostly) understood what Charlotte meant, too late