Queen Elizabeth’s Treatment of Catholics The reformation of England had been a long drawn out affair dating back to King Henry VIII’s Act of Supremacy in 1534. By the accession of Elizabeth in 1558, many historians believe that she inherited a country, which was still predominantly Catholic in belief. Although people of South Eastern England were likely to be influenced by the peoples of Europe, who were experiencing reforms, Doran (1994) suggests that the number of Protestants accounted for just 14 per cent of the population of Sussex and less than 10 per cent in Kent. Whether rural lifestyles were largely unaffected by changing religious doctrine due to a primitive communications network or general disinterest, as long as the laity were allowed to continue living as they had previously, is open for debate. However the attitudes of city dwellers in London, England’s premier city and official residence of the monarchy were quite different. The brief rule of Queen Mary, Elizabeth’s predecessor and Catholic half sister had brought about the restoration of Catholic practices and also a regime of Protestant persecution. Public executions of branded heretics proved to have an adverse reaction as it created strong anti-Catholic sentiment and rather than to extirpate the Protestant faith, those who converted to Protestantism, if they were not exiled went underground. Described by Briscoe (2000), Elizabeth I is considered to be one of the country’s most successful and popular monarchs. Unlike the reign of her sister Mary, which was by and large disastrous, Elizabeth made herself a powerful image of female authority ‘through the embellishment and through concrete policies that she urged her nation to follow’ (Jagger (1995)). Her policies could be attributed to the rigorous education she received as a child, which included history, languages, moral philosophy, theology and rhetoric. Her tutor Roger Ascham believed her mind to have no ‘womanly weaknesses, and her perseverance and memory to be equal to that of a man’ (Jagger (1995)). As an adult however, although very intelligent, ruthless and calculating at times, she was also renowned for her indecisive nature. This was due to the fact that ‘she sought peace above all other objects’ (Johnson (1974) p2): a trait, which many historians believe to have come from her father. Elizabeth viewed Catholicism as ... ... middle of paper ... ... Doran S. (1994), Elizabeth I and religion 1558 – 1603, p48 Routledge Doran S. (1994), Elizabeth I and religion 1558 – 1603, p7 Routledge Doran S. (1994), Elizabeth I and religion 1558 – 1603. Routledge Jagger A. (1995) The life of Elizabeth I www.luminarium.org/renlit/eliza.htm Johnson P. (1974) Elizabeth: A Study in Power and Intellect Weidenfeld & Nicolson Johnson P. (1974) Elizabeth: A Study in Power and Intellect Weidenfeld & Nicolson Johnson P. (1974) Elizabeth: A Study in Power and Intellect Weidenfeld & Nicolson Queen Elizabeth I quote: Modern History Sourcebook: Queen Elizabeth I of England Selected Writing and Speeches http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/elizabeth1.html McGrath P. 1967, Papists and Puritans under Elizabeth I, Blandford Press McGrath P. 1967, Papists and Puritans under Elizabeth I, Blandford Press Warren J. (1998), Elizabeth I: Religion and foreign affairs, Hodder & Stoughton Warren J. (1998), Elizabeth I: Religion and foreign affairs, p66 Hodder & Stoughton Warren J. (1998), Elizabeth I: Religion and foreign affairs, p69 Hodder & Stoughton Warren J. (1998), Elizabeth I: Religion and foreign affairs. Hodder & Stoughton
Doran, Susan, et al. "Elizabeth I." World History in Context. Gale, n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.
darkness to Macbeth’s plot of killing Banquo. He is asking the night to come and hide
The vision of the dagger, the murder of Duncan, the murder of Banquo, the sleep-walking of Lady Macbeth, all come in night scenes. The Witches dance in the thick air of a storm or, 'black and midnight hags', receive Macbeth in a cavern. The blackness of night is to the hero a thing of fear, even of horror; and that which he feels becomes the spirit of the play. The faint glimmerings of the western sky at twilight are here menacing: it is the hour when the traveller hastens to reach safety in his inn, and when Banquo rides homeward t meet his assassins; the hour when 'light thickens', when 'night's black agents to their prey do rouse', when the wolf begins to howl, and the owl to scream, and withered murder steals forth to his work. (307)
[Even when her power was fading Elizabeth showed her love to her people. She gave one of her most famous speeches, Golden Speech]. In it, “Of myself I must say this, I was never greedy, scraping grasper, nor a strait, fast holding prince, nor yet a waster. My heart was never set on worldly goods but for my subjects’ good” (History.com).
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.
Mary went on to re-implement the Catholic faith in England, however not the Catholic faith before her father broke with Rome. Mary was attempting to go along with the Counter Reformation happening on the continent. This showed great th...
God and the devil have a strong presence in “Macbeth”. The characters look to heaven and hell as places they have to try and strive towards or steer away from. God and the devil seem to be the driving and obvious force behind the happenings of the tragedy. They mold the characters into what they are. Even when things do not end up in their favor. The witches have an impact on the whole theme of the play. They are the ones who start to label Macbeth with titles, which he does not yet posses. The witches predict the future, which is to Macbeth’s liking. “All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis. All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor. All hail Macbeth, that’s shalt be king hereafter!”(1.3.46-48). Macbeth at this time was only the Thane of Glamis and he knew he had aspirations of becoming king, but wanted to know how these witches would know to say such things. “…tell me more…But how of Cawdor? The thane of Cawdor lives, a prosperous gentleman, and to be king stands not within the prospect of belief.” (1.3.68-73) The witches at this point fade out and leave Banquo and Macbeth to speculate. Ross and Angus enter and tell Macbeth that that the Thane of Cawdor is going to be executed and that Macbeth will take on the title. In Macbeth’s mind this means that he is going to be king. Since the witches were able to predict that he was going to be Thane of Cawdor then he believes he is definitely going to be king. “What can the devil speak true?”(1.3.107) This is Banquo’s reaction after Ross “hails” Macbeth with his new title, Thane of Cawdor. Banquo starts to wonder if what the witches proclaimed, would actually come true. If what they said did come true for him it would mean his children would be kings. This quote is sort of strange to me. I am taking it as he refers to the witches as the devil. I don’t know how he came to this conclusion; maybe it is just how he is trained to think towards anyone that can see the future. The witches planted this thought into Macbeth’s head about being king. Since the Cawdor topic came true with ease he believes that him becoming king will also be an easy transition.
Elizabeth led England during it’s greatest time of influence as a nation despite the prejudices against her gender. Many people believe that her life was like a fairy tale-“Beloved by the kingdom; dressed by servants in jewels and gold, silk and velvet; pampered and treasured by kings and married to princes”, but in reality her life did not come close to being a fairy tale. Many of her subjects hater her from the moment she was born. She experienced imprisonment, her sister threatened to kill her, and she was almost forced in marriages with men she hated. Some of her friends caused uprisings in her name. Her enemies tried to assassinate her. Her father had her mother beheaded and ignored her for most of her life. Although she had many suitors, she never loved any of them. She understood the common people and eventually gained the loyalty of those who hated her. She could also be ruthless. The city gates and London Bridge held the bodies of the people that she executed during her reign.
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.
When she came into power, Elizabeth I had to clean up the big mess that was left by her sister Mary’s five year reign. Mary had abruptly changed the national religion from Protestantism to Catholicism, and she was not going to hear any objections. She mercilessly hunted down and executed Protestants who refused to convert. After Elizabeth I took the throne, she switched back to Protestantism and, as Miriam Greenblatt says, “restored religious order in England” (Greenblatt 15). Greenblatt continues to say that “under Elizabeth I, religion and nationality were almost the same” (Greenblatt 19). Her first act as Queen was to form a loyal government: she replaced the Privy Council with qualified advisors such as nobles, lawyers, and businessmen (Greenblatt 15). Although she had an excellent board of advisors, she did not allow them to dominate her decisions (Alchin 1). Elizabeth was determined to set up a safe and stable government.
Queen Elizabeth solved the religious issues between the Puritans/Catholics and the Church of England. This was called "The Elizabethan Religious Settlement.” Elizabeth restored the Protestant faith to be the Church of England, and Catholics were not happy with this, for they felt they were not represented. Elizabeth put Catholic traditions in the Protestant faith as to keep everyone pleased and feel accepted. A lot of people weren't happy at first with having to compromise, but it turned out to be for the best, and some Catholic traditions were mixed into Protestant traditions and a fragile agreement was made. In 1559, Elizabeth established the 'Acts of Supremacy', which state that the king or queen is the head of the Church of England. When
Darkness is often used at times in the play when a tragic event has occurred. The morning after Macbeth killed Duncan remained in darkness, because the sun did not rise. "Is ‘t the night’s predominance or the day’s shame that darkness does the face of the earth entomb when living light should kiss it?" (2:4, 10-12) Ross said these words referring to the unusual darkness of the day. He wondered if the night had become stronger than the day, and overcome it, so that the sun could no longer shine. He mused that it seemed as though the earth was shrouded with the darkness, when the light of the sun that brings life should have ensconced it. In this quote, darkness symbolizes death and light symbolizes life. It suggests that the whole country is as good as dead since their king has been killed, because the natural order has been disturbed. The disturbance to the natural order caused all of nature is disturbed, d...
Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I may have been the English Reformation’s greatest benefactors, all because of self interest. Henry VIII was not originally Protestant, but after the pope denied him of his divorce, Henry VIII took things into his own hands. Due to the power kings had in the Middle Ages, Henry VIII was able to control Parliament and force it to do whatever he wanted. So in 1534, Henry VIII forced Parliament to pass a law he made known as the Act of Supremacy. The Act of Supremacy stated that the king ought to be the head of the Church of England. This law gave the king complete power over the Church of England, instead of the pope. However, the type of church and state relationship did not change. Rather all the Act of Supremacy did was take power from the pope and give it to the king. Surprisingly, the Catholics did not retaliate against this strong change. The pope had always been the head of the church, but now the king had taken his position. This serves as an example of nationalism. The Catholics did not think about how removing the pope could harm their religion in any way. However, instead the people blindly followed Henry VIII because he was the leader of the nation and they assumed he was right. Also, by imposing other laws that punished Protestants, Henry VIII did not give the people much of a choice. Fortunately, for Henry VII, nationalis...
She was one of the most important people in England. Elizabeth was well liked and respected by her subjects. The young queen was wise beyond her years and knew how to compromise with her people. She referred to herself as “Supreme Governor” over spiritual matter rather than “Supreme Head” of the church. This minor change between Elizabeth I and Henry VIII made a huge difference in how her subjects saw her. She worked hard to unify her country and did exactly what she set out to do.
She battled through attacks on the very thing that she held dear, her love of God and a love for her country. The success of Queen Elizabeth was due greatly to the trust that her followers had in her. She gained their trust through her devotion to fighting for what was right. It is here that “character is formed by continued hard work and intentional effort”. (Horsager, 2012, p). Queen Elizabeth worked very hard on her image and her character and her effort paid off. When she passed away, it was a “period that saw England, united as a nation, become a major European power with a great navy; a period in which English commerce and industry prospered and English colonization was begun”. (Columbia,