England under Elizabeth I

Seminar paper from the year 2002 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 2,0, University of Hannover (Englisches Seminar ), course: Einführungsseminar: Literaturwissenschaft, language: English, abstract: This assignment should give an overview of the most important events during the time of Elizabeth as the Queen of England - the Elizabethan Age. At first it must be said that it is only possible to give a survey of the most decisive aspects and facets of this long period which was of such detail that it cannot be captured in full detail in a rather short assignment. Thus, I will concentrate on the most significant chapters of Elizabeth's life and her time. When working on the subject of the Elizabethan Age, it becomes obvious that the reign of Elizabeth I. is not clearly distinguishable from the years before. Thus, it is necessary to take a brief look on the family background in order to understand Elizabeth's life, her attitude and position in life. Here it is also important to shed light on her childhood and her position at court as an illegitimate child of Henry VIII.. Although historians still argue about Elizabeth's own attitude towards religion and religious beliefs, it is known that she was hated by the Catholics but fully and truly loved by the Protestants. In order to shed light on the religious conflicts of the 16thcentury, an analysis requires a detailed description of Elizabeth's policy with regard to the conflict between Protestants and Catholics, but also her own religious belief and her motives for the establishment of the state church in England. As the policy concerning religious interests is closely linked to the home affairs of England during Elizabeth's reign, this assignment will take a look on Elizabeth's policy which helped England to rise again from the economical and political valley in which it was brought by her ancestors. In addition to that, England's role in Europe between 1558 and 1603 should be emphasized and therefore I will also analyse Elizabeth's foreign policy and its consequences for England's position in Europe as well as the consequences for the European continent in general. Closely linked to this aspect is the difficult relationship between Elizabeth and Mary Stuart, the Queen of Scotland. Mary has always been considered as a threat or a rival for Elizabeth and it is therefore important to recognize why Elizabeth in the end succeeded. When portraying the Elizabethan Age, it is furthermore important to shed light on the cultural and artistic life in England, in particular in England's capital London. [...]