Ap European History Dbq: French Nobility
Jason Billinglsey
European History
9 May 2013
DBQ: French Nobility
During the time period of the late sixteenth century to the late eighteenth century the concept of what nobility is and what it was conceived to be varied greatly as more modern thoughts developed and desperation of monarchs grew to meet such demand. The arguments related to nobility differed greatly, but these were the most crucial; the difference between the sword and the robe and the right to even hold such a position at all. The nobles from military decent (the sword) have an extensive lineage that allows them to perform certain tasks as described by Jean de La Taille in the poem “The Retired Courtier,” the words speak of the need to be a noble, to be a pure noble, to hold the position of a courtier [Doc 1]. King Louis XIII has proclaimed in the Declaration of Duels and Affairs of Honor that nobles bought into the nobility are wasting time fighting with the nobles of military decent should rather have spent that energy defending the country that gives them such authority in the first place [Doc 6]. King Louis XIII only wants the political emancipation from such a minor distraction as this controversy caused such a up roar of the masses. Gilles André de La Roque said, “You can’t just earn the title of nobility because you lack the family necessary for it” [Doc 9]. On that note, note everyone had the exact same idea as to what makes a noble, a noble. Marc-Antoine Millotet supported the rights of being a robe nobleman being that it was acquired by law, so as to make it just [Doc 7]. This belief was most likely due to the fact that he was a Judge thus, influencing the idea of law. Molière created the scene in “Dom Juan” that nobility is not earned through birth, but by the actions of ced person [Doc 8]. He could have possibly thought that this because of his non-nobility status and his role thespianism, meaning only nobles would watch plays anyways. King Louis XVI changed the way the
European History
9 May 2013
DBQ: French Nobility
During the time period of the late sixteenth century to the late eighteenth century the concept of what nobility is and what it was conceived to be varied greatly as more modern thoughts developed and desperation of monarchs grew to meet such demand. The arguments related to nobility differed greatly, but these were the most crucial; the difference between the sword and the robe and the right to even hold such a position at all. The nobles from military decent (the sword) have an extensive lineage that allows them to perform certain tasks as described by Jean de La Taille in the poem “The Retired Courtier,” the words speak of the need to be a noble, to be a pure noble, to hold the position of a courtier [Doc 1]. King Louis XIII has proclaimed in the Declaration of Duels and Affairs of Honor that nobles bought into the nobility are wasting time fighting with the nobles of military decent should rather have spent that energy defending the country that gives them such authority in the first place [Doc 6]. King Louis XIII only wants the political emancipation from such a minor distraction as this controversy caused such a up roar of the masses. Gilles André de La Roque said, “You can’t just earn the title of nobility because you lack the family necessary for it” [Doc 9]. On that note, note everyone had the exact same idea as to what makes a noble, a noble. Marc-Antoine Millotet supported the rights of being a robe nobleman being that it was acquired by law, so as to make it just [Doc 7]. This belief was most likely due to the fact that he was a Judge thus, influencing the idea of law. Molière created the scene in “Dom Juan” that nobility is not earned through birth, but by the actions of ced person [Doc 8]. He could have possibly thought that this because of his non-nobility status and his role thespianism, meaning only nobles would watch plays anyways. King Louis XVI changed the way the