Topic 2: Elizabeth I and the Politics of the Elizabethan Era
Elizabeth I: who was she?
Elizabeth I was the daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, his second wife. She was born on 7 September 1533 at Greenwich Palace and succeeded the throne officially as Queen Elizabeth I on 17 November 1558. She died at Richmond Palace on 24 March 1603 at the ripe old age of 69. Under her wise leadership, England became one of the most prosperous countries in the world.
What were England’s international relations like during Elizabeth’s reign?
England had many conflicts with various countries under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
The conflict with France and Scotland arose due to her cousin, Mary Stuart, who was the Queen of Scots and the wife of French King Francis II. In 1559, Mary declared herself Queen of England with the support of the whole of France after her husband’s death. Her mother Mary of Guise solidified the support for Mary in the neighbouring land of Scotland. Fortunately for Elizabeth, the Scottish lords who remained loyal to Elizabeth aided her and it ended in the signing of the Treaty of Edinburgh. She finally sealed her alliance with the French by giving them Calais, the last English settlement on mainland France. She even aided the French in fighting against the invading Spaniards, who took away Calais.
Ireland turned against England, as Pope Gregory XIII sent an army to help the Desmond Rebellions in Ireland, which caused much displeasure for the Irish monarchs.
Spain was a large rival for the English, as evident from the Anglo-Spanish War in 1585, which resulted in an eventual stalemate. Many attempts to free Netherlands from Spanish rule failed, though, as seen from the Drake-Norris Expedition, and a major English expedition in 1589.
Netherlands, however, was a Spanish colony which was aided greatly by England, who attempted to defeat their colonial masters.
What was Shakespeare’s relationship with Elizabeth I?
Elizabeth I was a great supporter of the arts, especially plays. After the closing of theatres, the Queen gathered her own group of performers to bring back the tradition of theatres and plays. Shakespeare’s writings were extremely renowned and the Queen herself was a big fan of his literary works. When Queen Elizabeth I had an idea or concept for Shakespeare’s plays, he accepted them, so many Shakespearean plays were performed for her during her reign over England. After her death, Shakespeare became distraught and included tragedies in his writings. Overall, Elizabeth’s reign had a positive effect on Shakespeare’s career, though there is no proof they ever met.
Compare Elizabeth I to Portia. How is Portia’s character a tribute to Elizabeth I?
The most obvious similarity between the two females is that Portia is the heiress to Belmont, which is matched with Elizabeth being the heiress of the English empire. They are also the “lead females” in that Portia led the court trial and was the star of it, and Queen Elizabeth was of course the most important and honoured figure in England.
Portia is witty and could see the loophole in Shylock’s agreement, which the other male leads were unable to. Similarly, Queen Elizabeth is an extremely intelligent figure in English history, and was able to lead England to many victorious battles.
Portia was not afraid to stand up against other men, as seen from her performance during the court trial, and was able to speak fluently and eloquently against the prosecutors. Queen Elizabeth often had to convey her ideas to an all-male council, who was often hostile towards a female monarch, but she never did once felt threatened by them.
Therefore, it is said that Portia in “Merchant of Venice” is a tribute to Elizabeth I, because Portia’s character is mirrored almost exactly, if not exactly, after that of Queen Elizabeth. Her strengths are played out and emphasised, as a successful leader, a daring feminist as well as a woman of substance.
Additional Note for Queen Elizabeth I
Nonetheless, Queen Elizabeth was undeniably a successful female monarch. She helped steady England after having to deal with an enormous sum of debts. She aided in the avoiding of a Spanish invasion and of a religious outbreak and possibly, a civil war in England. Therefore, we cannot help but applaud her wise leadership.
Resources:
Cherit, Alicia; Lipman, Dalia. (Date Unknown). Alicia Cherit’s and Dalia Lipman’s Website: “Queen Elizabeth I”, Major Events and Shakespeare. http://pages.ramaz.org/2013/chetral/shakespeare/Rt2_dalia%20lipman.htm (Accessed 9 June 2011)
Best Regards,
Nathan :)
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