Elizabeth I of England

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Introduction

One of the renowned women in history that I would like to meet and talk to is Elizabeth 1 of England. Born in 1533, by King Henry VII and she started ruling England and Ireland in1558. She ruled until 1603 when she died. Throughout her lifetime, Elizabeth 1 relentlessly fought against numerous social and political challenges (Heller, 2013). The manner in which she tackled the challenges makes her admirable, and many people today would like to meet and talk to her. Her achievement in enhancing art, music, poetry and literature is also admirable (Heller, 2013). The aim of this paper is to explain the reasons why I admire Elizabeth 1.

Body

One of the key reasons why I admire Elizabeth 1 is the manner in which she fought against and overcame stigmatization and rejection in childhood. Her mother, Anne Boleyn, was accused of adultery and was beheaded after directions from her father. Elizabeth 1 was associated with her mother and as a result, she lost her title as a princess (Heller, 2013). She was just two years old when her mother was beheaded. Despite her age, she managed to overcome the rejection and stigma that she faced from the members of the society and fought for her name and title as a princess (Heller, 2013). The manner in which she managed to fight and acquire her title in the society at a tender age lives a lot to be desired.

Secondly, Elizabeth 1 was able to live and cope with his father, without acquiring negative values from him. As a young girl, Elizabeth encountered numerous bad acts of his father. King Henry constantly engaged in bad acts, such as beheading of innocent people and political machination (Oxford University Press). He was also infamous of marrying and divorcing many wives. A good example is the beheading of Elizabeth’s mother, which resulted after political machination. Before taking leadership, Elizabeth lived next to her father and tried relentlessly to prove that she would continue with his legacy (Oxford University Press). When she took leadership, she never replicated the bad acts of his father.

Thirdly, overcame the societal norms that required kings and queens to have heirs. When she took leadership, Elizabeth was persuaded to get a husband and bear children, according to societal norms. However, she refused to do so and decided to remain single throughout her lifetime. This explains why she is regarded as ‘the virgin queen’ (Oxford University Press). She was later asked to select an heir who would take her position after her death. She did not select any heir and kept the question open instead. In 1963, Elizabeth stated that she intended to follow her nature, rather than the intended norms (Oxford University Press). Until her death, Elizabeth used a diplomatic approach to the issue to overcome pressure from the society to marry or select an heir.

Lastly, Elizabeth 1 is remembered for her support for art, literature, poetry and music. In English history, the reign of Elizabeth 1 is regarded as the ‘golden age. She loved and encouraged people to engage in art, literature, poetry and music, which ultimately led to their abundance. In response, many people used artistic skills to praise her (Heller, 2013). For example, Faerie Queene is a poem that Edmund Spenser wrote to praise Elizabeth 1. She also supported artistic work that reflected the culture of Tudor dynasty (Heller, 2013). In her support for art, literature, poetry and music, Elizabeth contributed immensely to enriching and keeping of record of cultural elements of Tudor dynasty that would be explored by future generations.

Conclusion

Overall, Elizabeth 1 has a rich legacy that is admirable to many. As noted in the above analysis, she encountered numerous challenges during childhood, which threatened to derail her ability to become her father’s heir. Despite this, she fought relentlessly at a tender age and eventually became a ruler. Despite living close to her father, she did not acquire negative values from him. She also overcame norms that threatened to derail her leadership. Lastly, her love and support for art, literature, poetry and music enhanced richness and longevity of culture of Tudor dynasty, irrespective of the fact that she did not choose an heir. Her braveness and achievements admirable and this explains why I would like to meet her

References

Heller, J. (2013). The Mother’s Legacy in Early Modern England. Burlington: Ashgate

Publishing, Ltd

Oxford University Press. Elizabeth I: Oxford Bibliographies Online Research Guide. Oxford:

Oxford University Press