The Revenger's Tragedy: Empowerment and the New Justice in t
The extraordinary uniqueness of Elizabeth Tudor's reign began even before she was crowned queen in 1558. She was very well-educated, a student of the great Renaissance scholar Roger Ascham; a consummate diplomat at the age of 25; and one of the most level-headed monarchs England had seen in many years. In contrast to her predecessor and sister Mary I ('Bloody Mary') - whose mismanagement of the nation caused Elizabeth to inherit a national debt and a greatly diminished kingdom - she firmly believed in the separation of state and church. This was a rather expedient way of sidestepping the great social debate of the time: the battle between Protestants and Roman Catholics over the national religion of England.In addition, her conservative protestant stance gave her leverage against Mary of Scotland, a Roman Catholic and her only competitor for the throne. Although this may have aided Elizabeth in executing Mary's imprisonment and eventual beheading, it also aroused anger in firmly catholic Spain, led by the colossal continental power Phillip II.Phillip was already angered by England's blatant disregard for Spain's international naval claims, which were in fact far less omnipresent than they appeared on paper. England had been en
The entirety was ensconced in a formal system of ceremony and tradition which furthered the impression (especially upon the influential and politically important gentry) that the government was a benevolent parent who acted in everyone's best interest. After having 35 of their ships lost in the storm and 10 destroyed or captured by the English, the remaining 85 turned tails and headed back to Spain. The Armada, although undoubtedly impressive to look at, was lacking in firepower compared to the might of the modern English fleet. When England sent 6,000 troops - a huge army at the time - to assist the rebels, Phillip felt control of continental Europe slipping out of his grasp. As it was, they never had the chance. She believed very firmly in autocratic power, but supported the English Parliament. The English were also putting pressure on Spanish interests in the Netherlands. This was particularity assisted by the revolutionary concept of writing in English; despite the pioneering efforts of Chaucer, the majority of pre-Elizabethan literature was in Latin and therefore very limited in audience. This led to a curious mixture of autocratic and democratic government which nevertheless proved effective. Spain was becoming increasingly aggressive; in the Battle of San Juan de Ulúa of 1568, they launched an unprovokedan unprovoked attack on an English fleet, increasing pressure on Elizabeth to attack. By the 1570's, however, the security and prosperity of Elizabeth's reign had begun to sour. The final decade of Elizabeth's reign - 1590 - was a black one for England. Even the completely illiterate peasantry received a slice of the action with the growing popularity of public drama. Adventures and explorers abounded, authors wrote of "epic battles and far-off lands", and scientific investigation, which had been all but dead since the beginning of the dark ages, was beginning to move Europe towards the technology of present times.
Common topics in this essay:
Francis Drake,
House Commons,
Dunkirk Armada,
England Despite,
Roger Ascham,
San Juan,
Chain Being',
Orange England,
English Parliament,
Roman Catholic,
english fleet,
16th century,
civil service,
construction fleet,
elizabeth's reign,
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