Women In Queen Elizabeth I : The Virgin Queen

By any metric, the middle ages in Europe was not an egalitarian society. Gender roles were heavily ingrained in the culture, with men meant to have aggressive masculine traits, and women to have fragile feminine traits.The practice of minting coins was perfected by Roman Emperors such as Augustus, Vespasian, and Diocletian, and as many Roman customs did, it became adopted by medieval kings, particularly Anglo-Saxons ones. The minting of coins not only served as a way to facilitate the exchange of goods and services, but they also were political tools utilised by leaders. Cynethryth, Queen of Mercia and Wife of Offa the Great, was the only Anglo-Saxon Queen we know of who issued her own coinage1. This not only has implications for the political eptitude of Cynethryth, but also has significance to understanding of medieval gender roles and how women in power operated and exercised authority.

These women were the crushes of those poets. In a manner, this can be viewed as respect for women’s inner beauty and intelligence. Some might perceive this as the only case of women having the upper hand on society. “When a guardian violates the chastity of his female ward, he shall be sentenced to deportation, and all his property shall be confiscated to the Treasury, although he must still suffer the penalty that the laws inflict upon ravishers” (Bailkey, 472). Although stated in many sources that male figures held complete control over females, men were still not allowed to take advantage of women morally. Guardians would be deported if they slept with their daughters. Despite women not having the same equality that men had, to a certain extent they were respected. “A man who contracts matrimony with his female ward in violation of the decree of the senate is not legally married; and he who was her guardian or curator can be prosecuted for adultery if he marries a girl under twenty-six years of age who has not been betrothed to him, or destined for him, or mentioned for this purpose in a will” (Bailkey,

As a mixed race product of an African American mother and a Caucasian father, Vyry isn’t given much of a chance to establish her identity from the moment she is born. Being the child of an African American woman automatically labels her as the “other” within the society she lives in. At a younger age, Vyry loves to play with her half-sister, and she is still oblivious of the racial separations in existence on the Dutton plantation. Soon enough, Vyry comes to learn what it means to be, not only a girl, but a Negro girl living in a white dominated society; as she finds herself and her half-sister being treated more and more different. In Jubilee, Vyry’s stepmother, who is a Caucasian woman named Salina is the emblem of white, middle class womanhood.

In the sixteenth century the role of women in society was very limited. Women were generally stereotyped as housewives and mothers. They were to be married, living their life providing for her husband and children. The patriarchal values of the Elizabethan times regarded women as the weaker sex.’ Men were considered the dominant gender and were treated with the utmost respect by females. Women were mainly restricted within the confines of their homes and were not allowed to go school or to university, but they could be educated at home by private tutors. Men were said to be the ones to provide for their families financially. Women were often seen as not intelligent. Property could not be titled in the name of a female within the family. Legally everything the female had belonged to her husband. Poor and middle class wives were kept very busy but rich women were not idle either. In a big house they had to organize and supervise the servants.

Throughout the ancient world women possessed few rights and privileges. A woman’s freedom varied depending on where she was born, in this case Athens and Sparta. But it can be said that most women were second-class citizens during this time period. Most women had limited social roles, little education, and no involvement in politics. Power and freedom was something that only existed in a man’s world, while women were expected to be submissive, docile, bear children, and take care of the household. Surviving records from ancient Greece show that women’s roles did not differ much from city-state to city-state but there were exceptions that include noble women and most notably, Spartan women. Some civilizations treated women with respect

Where this evidence survives it usually portrays any women who had any role in public affairs as not behaving in a manner that was befitting of a proper Roman women. For example, Fulvia is presented as “a counter-example of correct Roman women’s behavior” by literary sources for reportedly imposing her will upon the senate, and getting herself involved in

The Roman woman had a very limited role and they could not attend, speak in, or vote at political meetings. Women were not allowed to hold any position of political responsibility. They were not allowed to voice their opinion in public but in the Greek society, the woman was considered just like an object.

Elizabeth I, monarch of England, and Marie de l’Incarnation, a French nun, both invoked God and other forms of religious power to stake their claims to authority. Elizabeth’s role as a queen came at a time when her country was going through political turmoil. Marie’s role as a missionary in New France was to civilize the indigenous people. Although working to better their countries, both of these writers are vastly different due to their social positions. While Elizabeth had the substantial task of ruling over her country, Marie was serving her country as a missionary; however, both writers utilize religion to accomplish their various duties.

During the 1500s, one woman prevailed in a society dominated by males. Queen Elizabeth I of England served for forty-four stable and prosperous years. She claimed the throne in 1558 and reigned until her death in 1603. Because of her strong leadership, this time period was known as England’s Golden Age or Elizabethan Era. Queen Elizabeth’s accomplishments were possible because of her educational background, Protestant upbringing, and unmarried status.

During the Elizabethan times, there were many issues facing common people and William Shakespeare. An important issue that played a part in everyday life for Elizabethans, whether rich or poor, was the difference between men and women. Gender roles have been debated throughout history and are changing everyday. Although modern American gender roles are much more defined and different than Elizabethan times, if Shakespeare were to live today, his writing would have been very different.

During the time period of the early Roman Empire, and through the early times of Octavian, it is important to note the roles that each sex played. Unlike current western culture, men and women were not equal. Each sex was thought of differently, with women being less than men. According to Severy, the Romans thought of the Roman women as “weakness, instability, and irrationality” (Severy 23). These viewpoints of women lead to women being treated in way that was subservient to men. According to Severy, in contrast, the Romans thought of men as “strength, integrity, and self-control” (Severy 23). This thought process lead to men being in positions of power and control and ultimately the decision makers. This was so much the case that women had to have a male guardian to go out with them during major purchases to verify that was what was supposed to be bought at points (Severy 23). This thought process bled into the

Women in ancient Rome played a vital role in the transition of political power in the roman government. Although the Roman women were not allowed to formally hold office or vote, they often were influencing their men in regard to political decisions. These women were typically working in the background and although they may not get the explicit mention they deserve in historical texts, without their actions Rome may have had a very different outcome. In Livy’s The History of Rome, three instances involving women had a significant impact on the development of the Roman government.

The reign of Queen Elizabeth I is often referred to as "The Golden Age" of English history. Elizabeth was an immensely popular Queen, and her popularity has waned little with the passing of four hundred years. She is still one of the best-loved monarchs, and one of the most admired rulers of all time. She became a legend in her own lifetime, famed for her remarkable abilities and achievements. Yet, about Elizabeth the woman, we know very little. She is an enigma, and was an enigma to her own people.

In the novel Pride and Prejudice, first impressions mean everything; you want them to go perfectly but that does not always happen. Therefore when you meet new people, you are immediately influenced by that person for better or worse. Elizabeth’s character is influenced on a daily basis by men coming in and out of her life, forcing her character to change the way she views others, each time a man comes in contact with her. There are three men in particular that influence Elizabeth the most in this short novel; Mr. Collins, Mr Wickham, and the handsome and powerful Mr. Darcy. They each impact her in a way that is both positive and negative, and they all help her lead into her final conclusion of who she is supposed to spend the rest her life

Defining what a female was supposed to be and do was an act of Renaissance culture. For most of Renaissance society, women represented the following virtues which, importantly, having their meaning in relation to the male; obedience, silence, sexual chastity, piety, humility, constancy, and patience. The most important being sexual chastity and piety.