Elizabeth I is considered a Machiavellian queen; she placed the political unity of England above any other aspect of her kingdom, including religion. Elizabeth I’s reign was influenced politically and religiously, in respect to ideas about gender. Elizabeth, daughter of Henry VIII, responded authoritatively to any opposition she faced.
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
The relationship between a father and his son is an important theme in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part One, as it relates to the two main characters of the play, Prince Hal and Hotspur. These two characters, considered as youths and future rulers to the reader, are exposed to father-figures whose actions will influence their actions in later years. Both characters have two such father-figures; Henry IV and Falstaff for Prince Hal, and the Earl of Northumberland and the Earl of Worcester for Hotspur. Both father-figures for Hal and Hotspur have obvious good and bad connotations in their influence on the character. For example, Falstaff, in his drinking and reveling,
Henry V, written by William Shakespeare, is by far one of his more historically accurate plays. This play is the life of young King Henry V, who ascended to the throne after his father, Henry IV's death. These times were much different for England, as Henry V was a noble lord whom everyone loved, whereas angry factions haunted his father's reign. Shakespeare portrays a fairly accurate account of the historical Henry V, but certain parts are either inflated"deflated, or conflated to dramatize Henry V as a character suitable for a Renaissance audience.
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.
Roles are played depending on the audience set before the actor, who must decide the characteristics they want to portray. These societal roles are often manipulated in a manner by which the actor feels as though they have control towards an end goal they wish to achieve. However, the roles are not always met in the way expected and the traits in the role an individual plays results in either personal destruction or salvation. In Shakespeare’s Henry IV, the importance of role portrayal and facades is essential for Prince Henry/Hal, King Henry and Falstaff because not only does it set their images in the public perception, but it allows the reader to see a glimpse into the true mind of the character.
Back in the Middle Ages, rulers of many country were men and/or boys. For a women to be in power was usually a last resort. Elizabeth I fell under this situation and became the Queen of England. As people have regarded females, many disliked the idea of a women becoming the leader of England which has forced Elizabeth to use her power and authority to assert her position whereas people who have accepted Queen Elizabeth I has allowed her to act kind, sympathetic, and proud. Majority of the people during the time period were misogyny
Shakespeare’s Henry V presents a man transformed from rowdy teenager to righteous king. With the death of Henry’s father, Henry’s “wildness…/Seemed to die too” (1.1.26-27). While Henry has seemingly transformed into a powerful man awarded praise, his actions at times seem morally questionable and disingenuous as he continually deflects blame on others and contradicts his notions for peace. Throughout the play, Henry’s speeches persuade and manipulate audiences as he effectively uses the power of rhetoric to achieve his goals. He has the power to intimidate his enemies, uplift his soldiers, and mold himself into whoever he needs to be. With the change of Henry’s character came a greater title and the responsibility for an entire nation, causing him to abandon his outwardly destructive behavior and dissemble. Shakespeare thus contends that there is a difference between being a good person and a successful leader; national heroism and effective kingship is not necessarily attained through moral actions, but rather through the art of powerful rhetoric and the ability to seem moral and virtuous rather than to be moral and virtuous, thereby mimicking some characteristics of how a successful ruler should appear, as suggested in Machiavelli’s The Prince. While Henry is certainly ruthless at times, his ability to assume the roles necessary for successful leadership is what makes him a great king.
Elizabeth’s defining relationships are mainly with her family. Elizabeth shows her tender and protective side when interacting with her children. Her compassion shines when she is shown, at the beginning of Act II, singing her children to sleep, which only a caring and loving mother would do (Miller 1267). When interacting with her husband Elizabeth is almost a different person. She shows her devotion to their marriage with little gestures but overall she cannot forgive John for his affair.
Have you ever read a book that made you contemplate how it would pertain to your life or someone else’s life? Certainly, after reading the play titled King Henry V originally written by William Shakespeare and edited by Andrew Gurr, I concluded that certain situations in this book correspond to several aspects in this world. For instance, it can connect to many events that occurred during the 1590s, the time period in which this play was written. On the other hand, it correlates with other compositions that were read in class such as The Prince, but more importantly this play undoubtedly relates to my life. Even though you may not think the production titled King Henry V applies to you, you may want to reconsider your decision and realize
Incidentally, the king referred to his mother only a few times throughout the play and both times were in a negative connotation. This could have indicated that his own relationship with his mother was stressed or even non-existent. Mary Beth Rose argued in “Where Are the Mothers in Shakespeare? Options for Gender Representation in the English Renaissance,” “that motherhood was very slowly beginning to be construed as a problematic status, and that the perceived
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
Shakespeare deals with a parent-child relationship in the historical plays of Henry IV Parts One and Two in the characters of Henry Bullingsworth (Henry IV) and his son Hal (Prince of Wales, later Henry V). The fact stands clear in the development of the son, Hal: the son's success in life is not dependent on his relationship to his father politically, but success is demonstrated when there is a realization of both parties on the level of parental love. Hal is not living up to his name, but also to blame in his father's failure to love. Our discussion is based solely on the text itself, based primarily on three main dialogues between Hal and his father.
Shakespeare and the members of the Elizabethan era would be appalled at the freedoms women experience today. The docility of Elizabethan women is almost a forgotten way of life. What we see throughout Shakespeare’s plays is an insight into the female character as perceived by Elizabethan culture. Shakespeare’s female characters reflect the Elizabethan era’s image of women; they were to be virtuous and obedient and those that were not were portrayed as undesirable and even evil.