Elizabeth I: The Greatest English Renaissance Era

The last queen of the Tudor dynasty, Elizabeth I, proved herself to be a remarkable monarch; furthermore, she brought about many changes that resulted in England’s Golden Age. Her success was a result of her loyalty and devotion to her country. Moreover, she ruled a man’s world as a woman, earning the respect of many. Elizabeth I was the greatest English Renaissance ruler due to her leadership through the defeat of the Spanish Armada, the unification of England under Protestantism, and the use of her power to promote and patronize the performing arts.

Elizabeth I had been hailed as the savior of the English people due to her victory at the Spanish Armada. Her most pressing problem was the threat of war with foreign powers; it was due to England’s inability to protect itself from her enemies. One of her greatest trials was stopping the Spanish aggressions in an attempt to conquer the country in the name of Catholicism. Spanish power, a result of the acquisition of the Hapsburg family’s western

In the beginning of her rule, the development of the English drama progressed mainly because of two factors: which included the influence of the Renaissance and the establishment of theatres in London (Ashby 31). Elizabeth I, as a supporter of the arts, only supported the artistic acts of the noblemen. Therefore, she banned performances of unlicensed plays in 1559 and empowered her Master of Revels to grant permission to all plays and acting companies in 1574 (Wagner 103). She also restricted the sponsorship of troupes of players to noblemen in 1572. In other words, Elizabeth I confined the patronage of a group of actors and dancers to noblemen. She was a talented and artistic woman, fully capturing the spirit of the Renaissance. It was said that, “Elizabeth I was a born actress, and the court was the stage on which she played the great production-both comedies and tragedies-of her reign” (Lace