The Golden Age of English History

ARGUMENT

I have chosen this topic because I consider Queen Elizabeth I one of the most imposing and admired figures among the greatest English monarchs.

To begin with, I am fairly convinced that the period of her reign is not accidentally identified with The Golden Age of the English History. Furthermore, the Queen’s enormous accomplishments and some very interesting customs and traditions of that period, which I discovered made me wish came back in time and find out even more…

It follows that, there is something really memorable about the Queen’s strong personality: she survived and succeeded in a world that was male dominated, proving that a woman could rule as well as any man. Until her successful reign, a woman was thought not to be able to rule, and the reign of her half-sister, Queen Mary, had done nothing to change this train of thought. She also succeeded in uniting her people in a world that was divided by a religious conflict.

Moreover, by careful manipulation of her public image, Elizabeth gained the popularity and affection of her people, and managed to retain this even when she was in her declining years. She presented herself, in Walter Raleigh's words, as a "queen of the poor as well as the rich", and while she was always graceful in public, she was never aloof and had a common touch that won her the hearts of the common people.

Undoubtedly, she was careful and cautious in her approach to politics. Elizabeth chose her advisors well and gave posts only to those she considered able to do the job. Not to mention that as soon as she became Queen, Elizabeth reversed the debasing of the coinage. She encouraged trade in London, the Foreign Exchange, and the learning of skills from foreign refugees.

Nevertheless, Elizabeth managed to successfully lead her people in war; the defeat of the Armada was her finest hour, and has gone down in history as one of the greatest English victories at sea.

On the other hand, Elizabeth encouraged the arts and patronised scholars, encouraging her courtiers to do so too. She encouraged the theatre, despite the moral objections of the Puritans, and this allowed for the flourishing of the arts and drama and the work of great men like William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe.

All in all, the part that Elizabeth's conservatism and reliance on tradition played in making female rule acceptable to male subjects should not be forgotten; she provoked no fears that the social and gender hierarchy would be subverted by female monarchy. In this sense, Elizabeth was no feminist icon. Her reign did however demonstrate that a woman could be an exceptionally successful ruler even in dangerous times. And she really was!

PRÉCIS

The paper entitled “The Golden Age of English history” tries to deal with the most important aspects of the Elizabethan period, a period well known by its name, yet not familiar with the 21st century citizens in its basic aspects.

The introduction leads us into Renaissance, when The Golden Age began.

The first Chapter refers to Elizabeth’s biography, then to one of the most famous units of that period, The Spanish Armada. It briefly reveals the function of power and government, through Monarch, Privy Council and Parliament. It goes on with Religion, a controversial problem in Elizabeth’s reign.

The 2nd Chapter reveals aspects of Court Life, which includes details about food and life style, about how people used to fill their time or some of their services and occupations.

The 3rd Chapter exemplifies the Golden Age language. Therefore, the idiomatic idiosyncrasies, several proverbs and wise sayings get the reader involved in the daily life of the age. It is not only theory but also examples to the point, as in the case of writing letters or using fashionable vocabulary.

The ideas contained in this paper contribute to point out the role Elizabeth played in the English History.

The research was based on a list mentioned in the Bibliography.

To convince the reader the ideas in the paper are accompanied by Appendices containing.

INTRODUCTION

The past has different events and characteristics in various times and places. For that matter, the Renaissance is not the same thing from beginning to end. Our own world has changed substantially from the middle of the century to its last decade. Is it safe to suppose that because absolute monarchs still ruled Europe and the steam engine remained undiscovered that the world was static through out the period? Well, no. So it seems important to point out right now, up front, that this little bit of the Renaissance in Northern Europe under discussion here is not the Middle Ages and it is not the Baroque. It is its own special thing. It is Elizabethan, with a little edge of Tudor.

In this paper I tried to emphasise bits of Elizabethan life that are, have been, or should be "common knowledge" for those of us who work and play in the 16th Century on a regular basis.

In living history, we often say that we are playing a chapter, not a page of history. It's a tremendous chapter. Elizabeth I reigned for 45 years, during a period marked by increases in English power and influence.

CHAPTER I: ELIZABETH I

1.1.

FULL NAME: Elizabeth Tudor

BORN: Greenwich Palace Sunday (around 3pm) 7 September 1533

PARENTS: Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn Executed 19 May 1536)

BECAME QUEEN: Thursday, 17 November 1558, aged 25

CROWNED: Westminster Abbey, Sunday, 15 January 1559

HEIGHT: Estimated between 5ft 3in - 5ft 5in

EYES: Brown HAIR: A curly golden red.

RELIGION: Protestant