The third part of this project consists in the reason why she identified single throughout her life and her image as the Virgin Queen. The central questions in this chapter are: “Why did Elizabeth not marry?” and “How she used her virginity image?” Both Susan Doran in her book, Monarchy and Matrimony: The Courtship of Elizabeth I, and David Loades in his book, Tudors Queen of England, say that Elizabeth wanted to marry on different moments during her reign. However, she maintained unmarried. Susan Doran says “It is easy to find in Elizabeth’s childhood experiences a ready explanation for an irrational and pathological aversion to marriage.” (Doran 4) The experiences that she saw in her mother, stepmothers and sister marriages could have affect her in a negative way in her decision to get marry. According to Susan Doran, she suggests that “some historians argue, in addition, that the decision to remain a virgin gave Elizabeth opportunities to play a role and develop an image.” (Doran 7) D. M. Loades says about Elizabeth image that “Elizabeth was a consummate actress, and extremely conscious of her image.”(Loades 211) Elizabeth was aware of her image and her gender and knew …show more content…
In the second film, Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2005), which is a sequel from the film mentioned before, Elizabeth image is highly different from the first film. She is portrayed as a strong woman, for example, dressed as a soldier in the battle between the Spanish Armada and England. The last film analysed, Elizabeth (2005) focused on the love life of Elizabeth I with two different men -Robert Dudley and the Second Earl of Essex – in two episodes. In none of the films all the characters are portrayed the same and some of the events are really different from the one that happened in the real
Elizabeth I had total control of politics in England. She showed this best by refusing to marry. This allowed her to “further her general policy of balancing the continental powers,” (Gale Biography Context). Because Elizabeth decided not to marry, she was able to have complete political power over England. Political power
As a young woman, Elizabeth was wealthy, popular, and well-liked, however, she was not a Catholic. Since
Let's remember the gender roles of the time, when women were expected to believe they were inferior to men and they had to obey them. Personally, I believe Queen Elizabeth was an independent woman and this may be one of the reasons why she didn't marry. Why will someone who has power over a
1. What is the difference between a. and a. Elizabeth from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is bright, direct, and unapologetic. Throughout the novel she proves to have her aspirations and goals clear and will not settle for any less. She refuses proposals from men in high places who would more than likely raise her hierarchal status, simply because the men would not make her happy. Austen makes it very clear that Elizabeth sets herself apart.
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.
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?
Because she never married, Elizabeth had to cultivate her image of perpetual Virgin as an asset. As she did not have a male consort to legitimize her monarchy, she had to exploit her virginity in a way that would reinforce her single rule. The construction of the Virgin Queen drew once again on Ancient culture, as the Neoclassicism of the Renaissance was predominant in the arts. The Sieve Portrait of 1583 probably is the most powerful evocation of the Queen 's virginity (Fig. 2). The sieve that Elizabeth holds in her hand is a reference to an episode of Roman mythology where the Vestal virgin Tuccia had to carry water from the Tiber in a sieve, in order to prove her virginity after she was wrongly accused of being unchaste.1 In the Sieve Portrait, the Queen is represented as being larger and taller than her subjects, suggesting that her virginity makes her superior and more fit to rule, as she never succumbed to the temptations of the flesh.
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.
Throughout the novel, the reader follows Elizabeth through her struggle to maintain her personal identity, despite what her mother, sisters, and other women in society think of her. Elizabeth enjoys physical activities, such as walking , which is uncommon for women in the society in which she lives. “She has nothing, in short, to recommend her, but being an excellent walker. I shall never forget her appearance this morning. She really looked almost wild.” (Austen, 24). The women often look upon Elizabeth negatively due to her behaviour and personality, especially for her outspokenness, which was especially uncommon and unacceptable upon women. “‘Lizzy’, cried...
Everyone was expected to marry in Elizabethan England. In fact, women who did not marry were regarded with suspicion, some were even called witches(Benson). The main reason for all of this was because it was believed that women were lesser than men and their rights did not matter as
The way both Elizabeth and Catherine lived during their youth had an impact on their life ambitions. Raised by an exasperated father, a single-minded mother whose only goal was to have each of he...
Elizabeth is a beautiful independent woman who is not about to conform to society. She is always doing the unthinkable and is constantly surprising us with her wit and intelligence.
Hilliam, Paul. Elizabeth I: Queen of England’s Golden Age. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2005.
Queen Elizabeth I was a legend in her lifetime. In terms of her personality, she was resourceful, determined, and exceedingly intelligent. The most important questions that we want to know about Elizabeth I and her rule are; Why has this monarch, known in her time as the Virgin Queen and Good Queen Bess, caught the public’s attention so persistently? Was her reign really a golden age?