Criticisms Of Elizabeth I: The Critics Of Elizabeth I

Elizabeth’s character was a mystery to most people at the time she inherited the throne. She had learned to keep her own council, control her emotions, and always behaved cautiously, thus being able to disprove all rumors about her. Always dignified and stately, she could be vain, willful, dictatorial, temperamental, and imperious. She had courage, both in her decisions, and in the face of danger. Possessing an innate of humanity, she was not normally cruel, unlike most rulers of her day. Most regarded her to be unusually tolerant in that age of religious conflict. She saw herself as one who was always honest and honorable, who

At the beginning of her reign, she made the Church of England the official religion of England and she fashioned her court after that of her fathers. For a woman during that era, Elizabeth was a very daring and smart ruler. For example, she secretly encouraged sailors such as Francis Drake to make raids on Spanish shipping and challenge their naval superiority. When she was a little girl, she was well educated and was able to speak several languages, including French, Spanish, and Latin. In addition, throughout Elizabeth's reign, there was always the threat of hostilities in some form or another. Elizabeth kept the peace between rival leaders of different religions by dominating her court so she could keep the balance of power.2 She was smart enough to come up with a plan which kept the church at bay with their questions of marriage.3 She also calmed the Spanish and the French by entertaining suitors of each respective country; Philip II of Spain and Duke of Anjou of France, but she never married either of them and was therefore known as " the Virgin queen".4 Elizabeth was a Protestant queen who was not always on good terms with most Catholic rulers of Europe. Because of that, there were several assassination plots against her so the Catholics could put Mary, Queen of Scots, in her place. During the 1580's, Elizabeth began to bring her full weight onto the catholic rebels. Hundreds of Catholics died at the stake just as the

Elizabeth was a different kind of Queen: quick-witted, clever and able to use feminine wiles to get her own way. Elizabeth could be as ruthless and calculating as any king before her but at the same time she was vain, sentimental and easily

Being that he is a Scottish religious reformer, he probably wants the throne of England occupied by a Stuart monarch, not a Tudor monarch. Likewise, Nicholas Heath (Doc. 2) objects to Elizabeth’s position as Head of the Church as well as the state. He clearly demonstrates his disapproval of Elizabeth’s reign. In addition, the bishops of the Church of England express their views of women, which embody subjectivity to their husbands. Also, Edward Rishton (Doc. 7) is disgusted by the fact that the people recognize Elizabeth as more important that the religious ceremonies of the Roman Catholic Church. Rishton abhorred at the fact that Elizabeth is a Protestant. He suggest that a split in England will occur because of Elizabeth coming to power, and he wants to gather up as much opposition to her reign and restore the traditional Catholic practices. On the other hand, William Tooker (Doc. 9) praises Elizabeth and her ability to heal the ill with her “royal touch”. Since Tooker is Elizabeth’s personal chaplain, he may want to describe Elizabeth as this magnificent healer to win favor in her court.

In the Elizabethan period, women were subordinate to men. They were considered to be ‘inferior' beings who were controlled by their husbands, fathers or any other men in the family. Women were not allowed to hold their own opinions, views or lifestyles. Men had control of everything, some of these included money, politics, work, children, women and home.

She tried to make the people feel as if they were equal rather than the people being inferior to her, even though they were. Queen Elizabeth I seemed to be a humble leader by saying, “For it is not my desire to live nor reign longer than my life and reign shall be for your good. And though you have had, and may have, many princes more mighty and wise sitting in this seat, yet you never had nor shall have, any that will be more careful and loving” (Greenblatt 766). Queen Elizabeth’s reasoning for using sprezzatura may have been because she was the second female monarch of the Tudor dynasty and she wanted to win over the people trust and respect so they would not revolt against her wishes. She used her maternal love and feminine instinct to make the people believe she was all for them.

Elizabeth I is now known as one of the greatest monarchs England ever had, but she faced many disagreements and challenges against her ability to properly control England during her reign because she was a woman. Those religious oppositions against her gender influenced her rule greatly, eventually leading to her regal and authoritative responses. The regal responses reassured the people of her ability to control England, while the authoritative responses reestablished the fact that she was to be the only supreme ruler in England and no one should be allowed to cross her or doubt her power.

In her speech to Parliament in 1559, she claims that she has already been married to England (Document 7). This means that she will take care of England like a dutiful wife would care for her husband. However, because it was published after her death, the purpose of this document was to explain the legacy of Queen Elizabeth, and how great of a ruler she was despite being a woman. Another response to views on women in leadership was the execution of her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, due to the threat Elizabeth felt from Mary in an attempt of assassination. This shows how Elizabeth is able to make the most difficult decisions, which is a skill required to have when ruling over a nation. One must also note that women were viewed as weak emotional human beings. But Elizabeth showed that she was not weak by executing her family member and thus, shows her sense of duty to her kingdom. Another example of a positive response was at the start of her reign, when England was on the verge of bankruptcy, due to the financial destruction caused by the previous Tudor reigns. Nonetheless, she managed to make England debt-free, proving that she had the capability of dealing with difficult monetary tasks and therefore, responded to the opinions of women not being able to rule successfully. Finally, before the invasion of the

The parliament had a secondary role of assistance to the queen such as advising. For instance, one could admire from document five, “Elizabeth’s Procession to Blackfriars.” Oil on Canvas, c. 1600 by Peake, Robert the Elder, how Elizabeth I was sitting on her litter and was on top of all the nobles and aristocrats of England. This portrait exemplifies how she had the absolute command and weakened the noble’s authority. Also, one could also evidence how her skin pigment in this oil on canvas was white and pure, this meant that she was trying to imitate the purity of the Virgin Mary. Compared to the others on the painting, this difference in skin make her look superior, flawless, and heavenly. Yet, another piece of evidence would be the first document, Queen Elizabeth’s Response to the Parliament’s Request that She Marry, this document proves the fact that she was in complete control of her future and she was not going to be governed by the parliament. For example, when she responds: “And in the end this shall be for me sufficient, that a marble stone shall declare that a Queen, having reigned such a time, lived and died a virgin. And here I end, and take your coming unto me in good part, and give unto you all eftsoons my hearty thanks, more yet for your zeal and good meaning than for your petition,” this act of rebellion was a blow to the parliament and by all means challenged their authority. By challenging their authority, Queen Elizabeth had acquired a new position of sovereignty and set the limitations of the

Most of the public, especially the religious ones, thought that Elizabeth should have had a husband, and she was completely against this concept because she knows how corruptive a man can be towards a woman’s life (examples in her father and in her cousin’s relationship). Elizabeth, knowing that a man would take over and leave her behind, stayed unmarried. She believed that the only marriage she considered to be true was that of hers to England. (Document 11) When the Spanish Armada invaded England, her subjects were sure she was able to take good care of the country. In her speech to the English army, she says that they (her country and herself) will

Elizabeth’s strength, independence, and her intense willpower to assure that her marriage is coordinated only by love demonstrate the feminist portrayal of Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s desire for

Queen Elizabeth had to be harsh and strict with Catholics, more than she would have preferred in order to maintain peace in England (Elizabeth R). Although Queen Elizabeth was nice, she could also be very strict. When Catholics rebelled she reacted quickly, she had them killed, took away their properties, or imprisoned them. After years of rebellion and fighting, England became a Protestant Country in the early 1600’s (Pitchard 103). “The significance of the Elizabethan religious settlement is that it was able to hold the vast majority of the people together, despite being a compromise few would have chosen” (Elizabeth I).

believed. She was a Christian woman who was tied to her beliefs. She stated this about

By using her subject’s faith in God, and the current law of divine leadership, Elizabeth I sets in stone her reputation. If God chose her to be the Queen of England, then she must be a qualified leader. Who would dare defy a decision ordained by God himself?

Elizabeth I’s ability to imprison allowed her to control parliamentary outcomes to some degree, in 1559 she imprisoned Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester, leading to a loss of votes and the passing of the Act of Uniformity. This is a key example of how Elizabeth used her royal power to manage parliament, rid of awkward members and secure her desired outcome. The queen used her power to prorogue efficiently, such as during the push for the 1559 Religious Settlement. This gave Elizabeth time to plan and listen to the advice Cecil; allowing her to be careful and shrewd decisions when managing parliament. Elizabeth argued her status as a monarch to control Parliament’s demands. In 1556, the Commons petitioned Elizabeth to marry and name a successor, in which she stated “I am your anointed Queen, I will never be...constrained to do anything”; this effectively controlled Parliament and successfully forbade further discussion. Elizabeth’s success was further strengthened by her personal tactics in controlling parliament.