Deeply influenced by her time’s stereotypes of women, some of which she shared, Elizabeth I worked hard to avoid the mistakes of her female predecessors. Perceiving herself as a king at heart (Doc.12), Elizabeth distanced herself from what were thought to be the innate traits of women. Responding to the commonly held beliefs that women were dangerous and inequitable as rulers, yet weak and subservient by nature, Elizabeth strove to be a fair and loyal leader, played up her feminine traits for political gain, and refused to tolerate any form of dissent.
Elizabeth had to labor harder than most monarchs to establish herself as an educated, equitable ruler; many questioned her competence for the sole reason of her gender (Doc.4). After the disastrous
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Unlike most women of her time, Elizabeth demanded unquestioned sovereignty. As evidenced by the excerpt from The Second Book of Homilies, a woman’s role in the household during Elizabeth’s time was essentially that of a servant, yielding to her husband’s every demand while not voicing any opinion of her own (Doc. 5). To separate herself from this feminine “trait,” Elizabeth reversed roles, asserting herself as the “husband” of the English household by demanding obedience. One example of Elizabeth’s assertion of power was her sharp rebuke of Parliament in 1566, in which she claimed that its decisions had no weight without her approval (Doc. 6). Similarly, the temperamental queen frequently yelled at or punished her advisors if she found their ideas disagreeable. The Act of Supremacy of 1559 affirmed Elizabeth’s authority; in it, she was declared to be the ultimate ruler of both church and state (Doc. 3).
Elizabeth additionally asserted her power by wielding her feminine charms as a political weapon. As Elizabeth said herself, she preferred to be married to her country rather than to a husband (Doc. 11). This statement not only reflects Elizabeth’s love of her country, but her preference to stay single. As the unwed queen of a powerful nation, “The Virgin Queen” attracted many power-hungry suitors. By flirting with these men, yet refusing to commit, she formed political connections that might
hierarchy of women in relation to their nobility and social class, so Elizabeth When a Princess,
She showed this best when she “took time for leisurely pursuits. She loved music and could play the lute herself,” (bio.com). Because of her love of the arts, Elizabeth gained social power. Social power for a ruler is the ability to use the arts in order to influence a country or a ruler’s image in a way that helps them keep power. Elizabeth loved going to see plays or dances in her free time. This allowed her to gain social power because it was a way to connect with her subjects. It allowed commoners to trust her more and they could feel they were more personally connected to her than they were before. Elizabeth’s complete social control could also be seen when artists would honor Elizabeth “by painting her portrait. These images reveal that she was an early fashionista,” (bio.com). Her image was a very important factor in her reign of power. She was able to present herself as very well respected and almost “God-like”. Elizabeth wanted to show people who would see her or her portraits that she was not just a weak woman. She was a force to be reckoned with and her people could see this. She gained social power because her subjects looked up to her and respected her very much. This also allowed commoners to trust her more because her image showed she was intelligent could make decisions for
In 1558, John Knox declared, “To promote a Woman to bear rule, superiority, dominion, or empire above any Realm, Nation, or City, is against all Nature…” (document 1). Knox’s statement was no different than most English men’s opinions during the 1500s. The majority of the population was opposed to having a women hold any type of political power, as they believed it was a job for solely a man to possess. Leading up to the time period of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, females had a specific purpose in life: to serve their husbands and provide them with children. All women lacked freedom and liberty, Elizabeth Tudor sought to change this matter. When Queen Elizabeth was coronated in 1559, men were superior in all economic and social aspects; however,
...ide throughout history and to this day. In addition, the Elizabethan Settlement has demonstrated to the world the peace that can emerge from religious compromise and toleration between specific conflicting views. Lastly, the Privy Council, cabinet-type, advisory group that was first most prominently used by Elizabeth has been adopted by many thriving nations, such as the United States today. Ultimately, from all of these actions during her forty-six year reign, Queen Elizabeth I has truly been a molder of England, artistically, religiously, and politically.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a world filled with fancy dresses, play, kings, and queens? Or better yet, what would it be like to be the queen of this world? Queen Elizabeth found out what it was like in the 1500’s. Queen Elizabeth was a powerful and well-loved queen.
Upon the death of her sister--in November of 1558--Elizabeth ascended to the thrown of England. Until Mary’s rule, no woman--apart from the unrecognized rule of Matilda, daughter of Henry I--had ruled England of her own right1. Much like her sister, Elizabeth began her rule widely accepted and welcomed2. There were, however, still many who felt that women were unable to rule, being that women were said to be the weaker sex. John Knox argued that, “God by the order of his creation hath spoiled women of authority and dominion, [and] also that man hath seen, proved and pronounced just causes why that it so should be.”3 Women had always been no more then property, first to their fathers and then their husbands. If a women were to be the anointed queen of a realm of her own right and then marry, whom was beholden to whom? A woman was to do as instructed by her husband in all things, yet a sovereign was to be under the command of God only.
Gender was the leading cause of distress in the 1500’s: King Henry VIII wanted nothing more than to have a son, yet was “cursed” with the legacy of a sickly son, whom died before the age of 18 and two daughters, one of whom broke every convention of her gender. Queen Elizabeth I never married nor had children, yet can be considered one of England’s most successful monarchs. By choosing King James VI of Scotland as her heir, unbeknownst to her, she created the line that leads to the modern Queen of England, Elizabeth II. The question posed is then, how did Elizabeth I’s gender affect her rule?
Queen Elizabeth I’s gender appears as one of the main topics in her speeches. Elizabeth’s common mention of her own female gender, despite the fact that she could refer to herself with masculine terms, allows her to use gender stereotypes. Using these stereotypes along with mentions of motherly love and her knowledge of literature and when to manipulate her gender, she can rally others to her side, explain why she delays her answers to Parliament, and explain why she cannot knowingly harm her subjects, but by doing this, she provides people with evidence that women are unintelligent and incapable of ruling.
Queen Elizabeth I, also known as the “Iron Queen”, was a remarkable woman of her time, she ruled with great power and longevity. She was one of the greatest feminist of time. Coming to the throne in 1558, she took the place of her father, Henry VIII. She was given one of the most difficult jobs fit for a man or King, ruling England. At the time women were second class citizens, they could not vote nor own properties and such. Surprising England with her intelligence and fierce rulings, she changed herself to make better decisions. She proved through her rulings, to everyone that females were strong and could rule just as well as a king. She refused to marry, giving a feeling of “I don’t need a man for anything.” The Queen was responsible for giving females a voice in literature and it is shown through Shakespeare’s writings.
Why Queen Elizabeth I did not marry? Some people say: “she married her country” well, of course, she married her country, it was her job and she didn't marry anyone else, but go deeper, what actually made her do it? Was it for the power? Was she scared? I couldn't settle with just one because I don't think a woman as intelligent as she was, just came up with that decision based on one single aspect. This is why I found three main reasons I believe in.
Early modern queenship studies understand women in relation to their husbands, fathers, and brothers. When defined outside of her own actions, a woman’s agency marginalizes. Patriarchal dominance over the centuries paints politically active women negatively even when primary evidence of their lives differs from the textbook narrative. After the rise and fall of the courtly love tradition, Anne Boleyn (~1507-1536) showed the deadly combination that masculine rhetoric and femininity formed. Her use of sexuality, adoption of masculine rhetoric, advancement of her family, and open expectations of her husband set her apart from her predecessors.
Throughout the historical literary periods, many writers underrepresented and undervalued the role of women in society, even more, they did not choose to yield the benefits of the numerous uses of the female character concerning the roles which women could accomplish as plot devices and literary tools. William Shakespeare was one playwright who found several uses for female characters in his works. Despite the fact that in Shakespeare's history play, Richard II, he did not use women in order to implement the facts regarding the historical events. Instead, he focused the use of women roles by making it clear that female characters significantly enriched the literary and theatrical facets of his work. Furthermore in Shakespeare’s history play, King Richard II, many critics have debated the role that women play, especially the queen. One of the arguments is that Shakespeare uses the queen’s role as every women’s role to show domestic life and emotion. Jo McMurtry explains the role of all women in his book, Understanding Shakespeare’s England A Companion for the American Reader, he states, “Women were seen, legally and socially, as wives. Marriage was a permanent state” (5). McMurtry argues that every woman’s role in the Elizabethan society is understood to be a legal permanent state that is socially correct as wives and mothers. Other critics believe that the role of the queen was to soften King Richard II’s personality for the nobles and commoners opinion of him. Shakespeare gives the queen only a few speaking scenes with limited lines in Acts two, four, and five through-out the play. Also, she is mentioned only a few times by several other of the characters of the play and is in multiple scenes wit...
Queen Elizabeth I was born on September 7, 1533, in Greenwich, England. Elizabeth reigned queen of England and Ireland from November 17, 1558 until her death. Elizabeth never married, and died a virgin, sometimes called “The Virgin Queen” (Gale 2). Elizabeth was born to King Henry Tudor VIII and Anne Boleyn; she was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. This paper will prove Queen Elizabeth I was a woman wholly devoted to her country and brought it much prosperity and growth; these qualities made her the most respected leader of the entire history of England.
Queen Elizabeth the first was one of the first woman monarchs to rule alone in the history of Europe. Her character, the way she ruled, and even her gender transformed her country’s go...
In the Elizabethan society, it was expected for women to be obedient and to be in her place.