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Elizabeth I
Against the Spanish
Armada speech 1588

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The speech against the Spanish armada is a political historical-narrative text that is well
known as the speech to the troops at Tilbury. The author of the speech was the Queen
Elizabeth I of England. She addressed to her troops with the purpose of hearten and
raise their morale since they were preparing themselves to fight against the Spanish
Armada. She was invited by Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester and the Lieutenant and
Captain General of the Queen’s Armies and Companies. They were assembled at
Tilbury, Essex, on 9th of August according to the Juliand calendar or 19th of August in
reference to the Gregorian calendar, 1588, just before the Spanish Armada´s invasion.

This extract of the text is obtained from the letter written by Dr Leonel Sharp to the
Duke of Buckingham after 1623 and it was published in Cabala in 1654. Although this
text is believed to be the most renowned, there are at least other two versions. There is
also some controversy about whether the text has been altered by Dr Leonel in order to
reinforce the idea of God and keep the Protestantism in England. Indeed, there is also a
debate about if the speech could have been prepared in advance.

The Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603), the last Tudor monarch was Henry VIII and Anne
Boleyn’s daughter. This marriage was void and therefore she was announced
illegitimate. Henry VIII had founded a Church of England, but England remained
divided between Catholics and Protestants. Her nicknames include Good Queen Bess
and The Virgin Queen.

At the age of thirteen years old her father died and was his son Edward (The Elizabeth’s
half-brother) who ruled the country. However, soon King Edward become ill and died.
In 1553, Elizabeth’s older half-sister Mary became the Queen for 9 days and she re-
established Catholicism in England. She imprisoned the Protestant Elizabeth in the
Tower of London since she considered her as a threat.

When Mary died in 1558, Elizabeth I ruled England during 45 years. This period was
considered a golden age due to the country expand its trades overseas and was an
absolutely thriving historical era. Her first priority faith was to return England to the
Protestantism.

There were many plots against the Queen, some people tried to kill her and take over
her throne. In fact, several Catholic plots centered on putting Mary on the English
throne but finally she was executed.

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The king Philip II of Spain was a devout Catholic. He felt it was his accountability to
invade and conquer England so as to convert the country back to the Catholicism. Due
to this, he sent his fleet to England together with Alessandro Farnese, the Duke of
Parma and with the blessing of the Pope. Finally, the English troops did manage to
defeat the Spanish Armada. This event is famous because at that time England was a
small nation with no many fleet and they were facing to Spain, the more impressive
power in the world. It marked the beginning of England's dominance of the seas.

Elizabeth studied many languages and thus she was a master at giving speeches. She
prepared several discourses and therefore the Speech to the troops at Tilbury might have
been one of them. With this speech the intention of the Queen was mainly to encourage
her troops to face the battle as well as show her gratitude and let them know that she
was aware of their bravery.

At the beginning of the speech she addresses the troops by calling them “My loving
people” and by speaking in first person plural. In my opinion her intention was to create
a sense of common engagement and remind them her authoritarian leadership.

In the opening lines, she asserts her independence and toughness by telling the troops
she consider them her “chiefest strength” and assures them she is not among them for
“recreation or sport”, but to show her willingness to die for her God, her people and her
kingdom if it is necessary. From my point of view, she is showing a trustful attitude to
her audience despite the fact that she has been previously warned about the danger of
facing the troops directly.

With the famous sentence “I know I have but the body of a weak and feeble woman; but
I have the heart of a king, and of a king of England, too” she wants to emphasizes her
strength by pointing out that although the weakness of her woman body she is a
courageous and brave Queen, while she wants to transmit the idea that the lack of a
male presence in the kingdom does not mean the absence of the victory.

She refers to the king of Spain, the Duke of Parma or any prince of Europe by inviting
them to invade her borders. In my opinion, she might be alluding to the marriage
proposal she denied to show her faithfulness to her realm. This may also suggest that the
invasion of Spain is a Catholic threat to English Protestantism.

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Throughout the text she appeals to God to highlight the importance that she attaches to
her Protestant Deity to remain them her main purpose of preserving the Protestantism in
England. She also insists and motivates her troops by assuring the “rewards and
crowds” that they deserve. Finally, she trusts deeply in her lieutenant by asserting that
they will be led by him and rewards his loyalty.

To conclude, this speech has provided me with a valuable significance. Elizabeth I has
been a courageous queen that has led her sovereigns in a smartly way. This means that
not only worth the victory against the Spanish Armada after influenced her troops, since
the meaning and the role she has played in history is much more deeply than that. She
has accomplished to raise a national pride that is continuing up to the present. And last
but not least, she achieves her main purpose of encouraging her troops.

Websites references

http://www.elizabethi.org/content

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/people/elizabeth_i s/armada/

http://beingbess.blogspot.com.es/2012/08/on-this-day-in-elizabethan-history_18.html

http://www.elizabethfiles.com/the-spanish-armada-8-elizabeths-tilbury-speech/4065/

http://tudorhistory.org/primary/tilbury.html

http://elizabethi.org/contents/armada/

http://www.elizabethfiles.com/the-spanish-armada-8-elizabeths-tilbury-speech/4065/
http://www.elizabethi.org/us/armada/
http://johnss4.wikispaces.com/file/view/Oration+at+Tilbury.pdf
http://www.royal.gov.uk/HistoryoftheMonarchy/KingsandQueensofEngland/TheTudors/
ElizabethI.aspx
http://www.rmg.co.uk/explore/sea-and-ships/in-depth/elizabeth/threats-to-the-
crown/rallying-the-troops
http://tudorhistory.org/elizabeth/
http://www.history.uk.com/history/elizabeth-i-national-maritime-museu/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/adams_armada_01.shtml

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(http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2542066?
uid=3737952&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21101419853401)
(http://johnss4.wikispaces.com/file/view/Oration+at+Tilbury.pdf)
http://etd.fcla.edu/CF/CFE0000349/Rohrs_Mark_T_200505_MA.pdf
http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=4957
http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/education-queen-elizabeth-i.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/virginqueen/links.html

http://beingbess.blogspot.com.es/2012/08/on-this-day-in-elizabethan-history_18.html