|
Papers > History > Elizabeth I a woman and a queen and her impact upon English history
Featured Papers from Direct Essays |
|||
1. history and Origin of Dracula
|
|||
This is a preview of a paper to view the full text you need to signup and login.
Elizabeth I a woman and a queen and her impact upon English history |
|||
|
‘I am no lover of pompous title, but only desire that my name may be recorded in a line or two, which shall briefly express my name, my virginity, the years of my reign, the reformation of religion under it, and my preservation of peace.’ I. Introduction The age of the Tudors has left its impact on Anglo-Saxon minds as a watershed in British history. ... Names alone evoke delight and curiosity – Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, and Mary Stuart among the sovereigns of England and Scotland; Wolsey, William Cecil, and Leicester among the politicians; Marlowe, Shakespeare, Hilliard, and Byrd among the creative artists. The splendour of the court of Henry VIII; the fortitude of Sir Thomas More; the making of the English Bible, Prayer Book, and Anglican Church; the development of Parliament; the defeat of the Armada; the Shakespearean moment – these are undoubted climaxes of a simplified orthodoxy in which genius, romance, and tragedy are plentiful. Concretely the name of Elizabeth I remains still in people’s minds as a symbol and synonym of a powerful England. Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII, was the first of three long-reigning queens in British history (the other two are Queen Victoria and Elizabeth II). ... ‘Elizabeth’s fame rests upon three things, her longevity, her long-preserved virginity [she never married, but used its possibility as a diplomatic tool] and her political genius. ... ’2 Reign and life of Elizabeth I are researched broadly and in detail by different authors. But during studying of different describing of her biography and chronicles attention is directed to the fact that they, however Elizabeth I herself, are full of contradicting interpretations of her behaviour, life, and actions. ... ’3 But, in contrast to Catherine de Medicis, Elizabeth I Tudor was exceptionally popular among her subjects. ... Was that her political feature, her qualities as a Queen, or anything else (for instance, could it be her ability to use womanlike features simply charming surroundings)? Besides, it is clearly seen from read material that Elizabeth I was not a stranger to Catholic faith or, at least, she was very tolerant to it. ... Thus the objective of this essay is to describe personal features of Elizabeth I Tudor, as a politic and a woman, and also try to determine reasons and consequences of establishing the Anglican Church in England as ruling one. ... Personal features of Elizabeth I, as a woman and a queen Every woman, when thinks about her head, first of all takes care of her hair, hat, make-up, ear-rings, and other things that could make her even more attractive for her associates. ... But, in contrast to her subjects, queen always, every day and every night, is very much worried about one more thing – how to keep her head on. It is very hard to find a woman in the history of sovereigns, who could avoid dangers of death and remained national favourite during almost a half-century reign. Elizabeth, who managed to survive thanks to her intuition and wisdom, became not only the next queen on the English throne, but also a legendary Queen, the first of the most famous persons in the history. ... There are women in the history, such as Nefertiti or Cleopatra, whose fame is based first of all and mainly on their beauty. Bt, how did Elizabeth look like? ... For example, in the spring of 1551 Elizabeth was summoned to Court of her brother Edward VI, where she played the Puritan maiden with great effect, rebuking by her plain attire the ladies of the Court ‘dressed and painted like peacocks.’4 Besides, she was very well educated woman (even if no better than many aristocrats of that time were). ... Under his guidance, Elizabeth studied Greek and Roman classics, read history and theology, and learned both classical and modern languages. Elizabeth became fluent in French, Italian, Greek and Latin. This knowledge of language allowed her to converse with envoys and ambassadors without an interpreter when she became Queen. ... Elizabeth was one of the first English monarchs to be born of pure English parents. ... ’5 These facts about her birth led to her immense popularity with the English people, as she grew older and with their fanatic devotion when she became queen. Her mother, Anne Boleyn, was beheaded by a sword when Elizabeth was two years old only. There is a question as to how well Elizabeth remembered her mother. I personally feel that she remembered enough of her to realise that she was gone and had been killed by her father. For the rest of her life, Elizabeth rarely spoke of her mother. ... I believe she had been taught that her mother was an adulteress who betrayed her father and deserved her fate. ... In jest he called Elizabeth in no other way than ‘sister Temperance. ... When Elizabeth finally became Queen, it was the culmination of a lifetime dream. ... It was extremely important to Elizabeth to maintain good relations with her subjects. ... To keep control of the reins of government, Elizabeth used every resource at her disposal. ... To keep up the endless marriage negotiations between Elizabeth and other rulers, the councillors needed her co-operation. ... Elizabeths unmarried state was unheard of in any ruler of that era, especially a queen. ... Marriage was also a necessity for any woman who was not a nun; this was even more so in a queen. It was believed that without a man by her side, a woman would be unable to function, much less govern a country. ... Elizabeth used this belief to her advantage. ... Spain could not invade while Elizabeth was being courted by the French Kings brother and France would not attack if the Spanish Kings nephew was trying to marry her. ... During this peace, Elizabeth began to set the ground rules for her court. ... She was referred to as a queen bee in a hive, the centre of everything and the hive dependent on her favour. ... Elizabeth would have thrown him in the Tower but she had no legal option to do so. ... Though the society in which she lived at court was essentially masculine Elizabeth succeeded in dominating it, evoking a genuine emotional response from courtiers in general because ‘she was a woman as well as a Queen. She charmed those about her into participating in the sophisticated allegorical fantasy of the Virgin Queen, contriving to live out a mystical romance on a public stage.’7 Elizabeth was indeed a woman, and a woman thwarted of a woman’s normal satisfactions. But a woman alone in a world of men she must be Queen, or she would be nothing. Perhaps the one unmistakably genuine emotion she had, the one which was least a pose, was her sense of England, her sense of obligation to her people: ‘And though God, hath raised me high, yet this I count the glory of my reign; that I have reigned with your loves.’ 8 In my opinion Elizabeth saw herself not only as a Queen ruling by divine right but as the head of a family: ‘Yea, to satisfy you, I have already joined myself in marriage to an husband, namely, the Kingdom of England. And do not upbraid me with miserable lack of children; for every one of you, and as many as are Englishmen, are Children and kismen to me…’ In her Golden speech to parliament in 1601 she told them, ‘there will never Queen sit in my seat with more zeal to my country, care for my subjects, and that sooner with willingness will venture her life for your good and safety than myself. ... As a queen Elizabeth had inherited the Tudor eye for the right servant. ... Elizabeth began with only one councillor who soon dropped out, and then for many years kept the council. ... Elizabeth said him, ‘This judgement I have of you that you will not be corrupted with any manner of gifts, and that you will be faithful to the state. ... One of the most womanlike features was, I think, that the queen really loved peace for its own sake. ‘Elizabeth was a patriot but not a jingo; for she was also, in a sense, a pacifist – perhaps the best kind of patriot. ... In the year of the Armada the Pope himself said, ‘She is a great woman; and were she only Catholic she would be without her match. ... I think she became a legend not only because of her announcement the Anglican Church as a ruling one, and herself as a Head of this church, despite the power of the Pope (that should be said was rather dangerous). Not only because of so fast and strong development of the English fleets under her reign that it became possible to defeat the Invincible Armada in 1588. ... And, of course, not only because she considered herself the most beautiful woman in the world and insisted constantly on it. But because Elizabeth showed such political miracles, that many historians and people even now think about when she was sincere, when played, when pretended, when deceived. It was characteristic of Elizabeth’s inconsistency, or rather complexity, that she had always two different styles at command, one so tortured and obscure that it is sometimes difficult even to guess her subject, the other, as in the best of her speeches, simple, direct, impassioned, and sincere. ... Elizabeth had been attractive as a girl, she remained for many years a handsome woman; but at last she became a woman with all those signs of old age that are human nature. |
|||
To link to this page, copy the following code to your site:
Paper Information |
|||||
Title: Elizabeth I a woman and a queen and her impact upon English history
|
|||||
Signup & Login |
|||||
If you don't currently have a login then Signup here |
|||||
| Pre-Written Papers | |||||
|
|||||
| Custom Papers | |||||
|
|||||
Copyright 2003-2008 doingmyhomework.com. All rights reserved.