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Clothing during the Elizabethan era and their effect on women
Gender issues in the Elizabethan era
Gender issues in the Elizabethan era
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Queen Elizabeth I was and still is an influence to people everywhere, all across the globe. She carried herself with pride, dignity, and respect for others. Queen Elizabeth I influenced our society by inspiring women to fight back against the constraints of society. She left a footprint because of the modest fashion examples she set, as well as a great influence on the religious practices within her kingdom and even places today. Firstly, Queen Elizabeth I inspired women to not be constrained by society due to their capabilities. Being the one female ruler, Elizabeth got a fair amount of grief for not marrying to continue the royal heir. Phillip wanted to marry Elizabeth because he believed that she needed a masculine assistant to govern. She …show more content…
After pestering by the members, she dramatically took her ring off and proclaimed her marriage to England. She was happy single, the only concern was if she could handle it (Thomas, 95). In the end, it was proved that she would, and this influenced so many men and women to stand out and speak for what they believe in. In addition, Queen Elizabeth I set modest clothing statements for those in her Kingdom. She preferred wearing simple gowns in private, sometimes days at a time. However, when she made public appearances, her wardrobe was sophisticated and elegant. Her maids complimented her, wearing mainly silver and white dresses. Her dresses were in all sorts of colors but she loved black and white clothing. The colors represented virginity and purity (Sharnette). Throughout history, clothing has played a major role in first impressions. Her gowns for the most part were simple, and most definitely modest. She always tried to look her best to represent England in the best manner (Hanson). Queen Elizabeth I went through a lot of pain for her beauty, such as wearing wood and iron framed corsets. She influenced people to think of others before thinking of themselves through her fashion
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
The queen loved music and could also play an instrument called the lute. She had a court of musicians that would only play for her. Members of this prestiges group were: Thomas Tallis and William Byrd (“QueenElizabeth I - Biography pg.1”). During her reign England experienced a great renewal of English literature especially in drama. Some of the main play writers in this period was Ben Johnson, Christopher Marlowe, and William Shakespeare (Macmillan pg.102). Elizabeth was also admired by artist who wanted to paint her portraits. These portraits reveled that she was fashionable and enjoyed the finer things in life. Getting this fashion forward look might have caused health problems for the queen unfortunately because her face make up was mad of white lead and vinegar (“Queen Elizabeth I - Biography
Although there was widely held discomfort with England having a female ruler, this did not translate into active opposition as most believed that she was monarch by the will of God. But this did not mean they were not concerned.. She herself proved the biggest challenge to this statement and historians have debated ever since on why Elizabeth did not marry or choose an heir until so late in her reign. As long as anyone could remember there had been public concern over England’s political future and until Elizabeth produced an heir, the future was unclear. When Elizabeth mounted the throne, it was taken for granted (particularly by the House of Commons) that she was to marry, and marry with the least possible delay.
Elizabeth’s dedication to women 's rights sometimes created a tiff in her marriage but, that was completely unknown to many, “Elizabeth kept silent while her husband was having a grand old time in the thick of things. But whatever arguments the couple engaged remained between them (89). Not only did the women 's rights cause problems in her marriage it also created problems in many other relationships. Elizabeth Cady Stanton continuously pushed boundaries like with her fashion, “That spring Stanton, Lucy Stone, and Amelia Bloomer had traded in their cumbersome attire for the “‘Bloomer costume”’ and thus made the dress reform” (80). Her family was apposed to her wearing fants they were so upset by it that some did not even want to talk to her or be around her while she wore bloomers. She didn’t mind causing an uproar or being judged and ridiculed constantly. She did what ever it took to make a stand and do what was needed to succeed. During this time period of the mid 1800s and beyond that, Elizabeth would be considered a “maverick”. Though there were many women, and a select few men who actively participated in the movement of women 's rights, most people did not stand up for what they believed in, or did not have the literary needed to express themselves, and some were even opposed to what Elizabeth and other reformers were doing. The majority of people did not help the womens rights movement, making it a out of the social norm to be a part of. Elizabeth was one of the few that spoke up for what she believed in, and never let societies view put her down or make her feel inferior to men. Being the one to stand up and create a change is a difficult thing to do, it takes confidence and aspiration that Elizabeth Cady Stanton
...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.
Queen Victoria is ought to be the most important person in this era. Considering she was the queen crowned at age 18. Also ruling over the United Kingdom for 64 years, and this era was quite going through many changes to becoming modernized. She had influence from her early years; The Prime Minister and Her husband, Prince Albert. The taught her about being a ruler in a constitutional monarchy, in which the monarch didn’t have much power but could influence decisions. Her personal life in matter is quite interesting.
[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).
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.
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.
Clothing affected the lives of women greatly. Women wore many layers of clothing that could be hot and tight, making them uncomfortable. Different types of clothing were also used to make women seem more petite than they actually were (History of Fashion - Elizabethan). Many outfits included most of the following under layers: a smock, stockings, a corset, a farthingale, a rowel, a stomacher, a petticoat, a kirtle, a fore part, and a partlet. Then, most of the following over layers: a gown, separate sleeves, a ruff, a cloak, and shoes. Shoes were often a flat, Mary Jane style, or had a platform to keep one's feet dry. The biggest influence on woman's clothing during the Elizabethan Era was actually Queen Elizabeth I herself.
Gender has played a critical role in history. Different societies at different times in human history have had varying notions of what it means to be a man, and what it means to be a woman. The majority of these cultures thought that men were to lead, govern, and work in the public sphere, while women were to maintain order within their families and in the private sphere. Despite this, there have been some exceptions to this trend, such as Queen Boudica of the Celts, Cleopatra of Egypt, and Queen Elizabeth I of England. In the case of Queen Elizabeth, the fact that she was a woman was not an issue to some people, but a grave one to others. Many people (mainly clergy) often told her a woman had no right to be a sovereign ruler, while her supporters
Although the color black was previously used for mourning she made it chic and
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?
Many people, in England, believe that there has always been one queen to stand above the rest. That queen was Elizabeth the 1st. She has made many accomplishments during her reign. From a compromise about what religion England would follow to defeating the Spanish Armada.
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.