Essay on Queen Elizabeth I in Love - 922 Words

Queen Elizabeth I in Love A huge obstacle that women only in the near past have been able to conquer is their status in society. Women today have the freedom to take up any profession they desire, attend any school they desire, and most importantly marry anyone they desire. In the 16th-18th centuries, the time of the Renaissance, rebirth, and discovery of grand new worlds, women possessed the status of children in many ways; women were considered minors dependent on their fathers until marriage when that dependency transferred to their husbands. They could not own land, they could not be educated, and they most importantly could not marry whom they chose. The poor could possibly marry for love, but the new wealthy merchant class and the†¦show more content†¦They were to be seen and not heard. As a result, women were forbidden from acting on stage. This is another illustration of women’s status at this time. Viola greatly desired to be an actor and disguised herself as a man in order to do so. But when Mr. Tilney discovered her charade, he went so far as to shut down the theatre in which she was to play. He described displaying a female on the public stage as sedition and indecency and lewdness. Women were to be kept off the stage in modesty and quietness. Queen Elizabeth I had to battle with these traditions as well, though in a different way. As a queen, she was in a position of power generally reserved for a man. As her character in Shakespeare in Love stated, †¦I know something of a woman in a man’s profession. Yes, by God, I do know about that. She was also constantly in the public eye, similar to an actor. Therefore, she had to define a social status for herself, as she did not fit the mold for the traditional status of women. In doing so, she created a dual image for herself: the masculine image of a confident and strong ruler coinciding with the feminine image of a beautiful and desirable maiden to be courted. In order to maintain her position of power, she could never consent to any of the proposals she received from her numerous suitors. If she were to marry, the responsibility of the crown would revert to her husband, which she was not willing to allow. In her speech, On Marriage, she states: IShow MoreRelated Sh akespeare In Love Essay example985 Words   |  4 PagesShakespeare In Love with Queen Elizabeth Shakespeare In Love dominated the Oscars in 1998 bringing home seven academy awards including best picture. At Consumnes River College, a film professor argued to his class that Saving Private Ryan should have won the award. The whole class, which I attended, obediently agreed. Only after studying Renaissance literature, I realize our mistake. 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