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The role of women in English literature
The role of women in English literature
Queen Elizabeth II achievements
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Queen Elizabeth had a hectic childhood which was the key in Establishing her determined nature, which helped her later to return England to its previous position of power. This determination was vital for Elizabeth to become a successful queen in a male-dominated world. During the 16th century, women were not equivalent to men. Women were rarely educated and had only a few rights. The woman basically got marry and had children, or had simple jobs. Certainly, they were viewed as weak individuals and inferior to men. In spite of that one woman raised above this common perception - her majesty, Queen Elizabeth I. In the beginning, Elizabeth’s future was unclear. Even though she was born a princess, by age three her mother was killed for performing adultery and violating other laws. While her mother was awaiting execution, Elizabeth was recognized as a bastard child. She was sent away to virtual exile from the royal court and with an older half sister who shared the same fate. No longer was she an heir to the royal throne, her ability for greatness was seemingly quelled before being given a chance. The title “Princess” was taken from her and replaced with “Lady” Elizabeth, and the money for her care slowed to a trickle, only just enough to keep her clothed. By the time Elizabeth was ten years old, Henry her father had married and divorced three wives in succession. The last wife, Catherine Parr, persuaded him to reinstate Elizabeth’s right as an heir and bring her back to Court. Here, she can shared her younger half-brother’s tutors and received a outstanding education. Now Elizabeth had motivation to be more determined about her future. Sadly, she also had reason to dwell on the prior execution of her third stepmother, K... ... middle of paper ... ...aiting with her army. So when the Armada came into clear view, England set empty ships on fire and let them loose to wreak havoc. Unable to avoid the floating flames, The Spanish ships caught fire from the floating flames and many of them sank. Only about sixty seven lifeless home remained and they were badly damaged. This was a significant victory that sent a message to the rest of the world that England was still a fearsome enemy in combat.. In conclusion, deprived and separated from royality and an illegitimate child, she transpired into a woman of great power. Queen Elizabeth managed to hold together a struggling country and became known as one of England’s most influential rulers. She reinstated its power throughout her solitary forty five year reign, and in doing so became widely respected, not only during her own lifetime but for generations to come.
Elizabeth I was the queen of England from 1558 to 1603. Elizabeth I had many qualities of an absolute ruler and these qualities helped her to make a stronger England. Among the areas that Elizabeth I had absolute power were, her total control of politics in her country, her complete ability to use the military to keep and increase her power, and her complete influence over the social and cultural situation of England.
Elizabeth I was born in 1533 to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Although she entertained many marriage proposals and flirted incessantly, she never married or had children.
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,
Despite the gathering winter she felt relieved to see that her sixteen- year old daughter, now her only child after the early death of her son James, was acting normal again. For the past fortnight the younger Elizabeth had been carrying herself in a strange manner. While walking along normally she would sometimes cry out. Last week she had shrieked at extremely inappropriate time in Sunday dinner and that day in church she had been overcome with irreverent laughter. She was always quick to offer a reasonable excuse to spare the swift punishment usually dispensed to children at the time, but the extravagance and immodes...
Women in the Elizabethan era were presented as very obedient to their husbands and respectful to them also. They had no power and no say, they were treated badly and nothing would be done to stop the behaviour. In modern society most women have as much say as the men, they are not expected to stay at home and clean etc, and instead they go to work as well. Some women are like Katherina before she was supposedly tamed, very out spoken, yet inequality still exists.
Additionally, women were oppressed by a religious, male dominated law system. In the 17th century, men were the accepted leaders of society. If any one man tried to give women a voice in society, he was severely criticized, and all respect for him was lost. Dimmesdale, even though he loved Hester, was forced to persecute her for fear of being denounced by his colleagues. As shown in this quote by John Wilson, ?What say you to it on...
During the Spanish Armada the English were led by Sir Francis Drake and Admiral Howard. Also the Duke of Medina Sidonia set out to with the intention of putting an end to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Medina Sidonia was one of the commanders of the Spanish navy and he had no experience of sailing or fighting in his career. The “Invincible Fleet” was eventually defeated by the British navy with almost no loss to their fleet. King Philip II invented a plan to restore the Catholic Church into a Protestant England, and this is the reason why the Spanish Armada was created. The Spanish invasion took lots of hard work and time, the plans of the Spanish showed great detail. In the entire fleet it consisted of 132 ships, 8,766 sailors, and 21,556 soldiers who were ready to invade the English and bring reform to their religion.
Every decade brings new rights and opportunities for women. Specifically, in the Elizabethan era between 1558 and 1603, women were given little freedom due to the common idea that they were weak and needed a man to care for them (Thomas). Imagine you are an Elizabethan woman in 1560; you are in an arranged marriage with two children, a boy and a girl. Your daughter is growing up to become a mother and devoted wife just as you did while your son attends school to become anything he desires whether it be a doctor or even a lawyer. As time grew on, society discovered the true potential of women, and today, women play a large role in politics and in everyday life, but they still carry the stereotypical role as homemaker and mother. Elizabethan England was a male dominated society ruled by a powerful woman, Queen Elizabeth I. She made powerful decisions, such as establishing the English Protestant Church, while most other women made little to no decisions in their life. Besides being a mother and wife, English drama and poetry was an outlet for their restrained social life. Women had a strenuous everyday life due to their few rights, arranged marriages, and inferiority in politics, education, and their occupation.
Queen Elizabeth I was said to be one of the best rulers of England. Unlike rulers before her, she was a Protestant and not a Catholic. She was not stupid though. She did go to church and did everything that Catholics did to prevent getting her head cut off under the rules of her sister Mary. Elizabeth was very young when she came to rule. She was only 17 years old when her sister Mary died and she took over.
Elizabeth uses her gender and knowledge to make herself appear as a humble queen who knows she does not deserve the crown. She uses this to explain her actions. Right at the beginning of her Speech to the Commons, Elizabeth explains that, “The weight and greatness of this matter might cause in me, being a woman wanting both wit and memory, some fear to speak and bashfulness besides, a thing appropriate to my sex. But yet the princely seat and kingly
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.
Elizabeth was the daughter of Andrew II, the king of Hungary. She had an arranged marriage. When she was four she was sent to Thurgia for school and eventually marriage. She married at fourteen to Louis IV, the landgrave of Thuringia. Elizabeth and Louis loved eachother so much they had three kids. Elizabeth was young when her love for God and the poor started to show. She lived a life of prayer, sacrifice, and service. When Elizabeth was a teenager, she sold her belongings and gave the money to the poor. Because
After a sojourn in The Tower of London, Elizabeth finally ascended the throne in November of 1558. On November 15th, 1558, Elizabeth was at last crowned Queen after years of being cast aside, forgotten, and even tried for conspiracy. She inherited a destitute country filled with religious strife and memories of the many defeats at war. But still, she was determined to live life to its fullest and enjoyed horse-back riding and game/bear hunting. She loved music, dancing, and pageantry. She dressed extravagantly while watching plays, which created the basis for the flourishing of the theater and with it the plays of Shakespeare.
At the time of her birth, no one ever thought that Elizabeth would become queen of Great Britain. Elizabeth only got to enjoy the first ten years of her life with all the freedoms of being a royal without the pressures of being the heir apparent. She often took dancing and singing lessons. Her life took a major spin with the death of her grandfather, King George V. Her uncle became King Edward VIII, but he only ruled for about six months because he chose love over power. Edward appointed Elizabeth's father, Prince Albert, to become King. Soon the outbr...