Video Essay

Women in Politics
Introduction
Hello, I’m Angela. This video essay is about Women in Politics. In this video, I will be
mainly focusing on Queen Elizabeth I, how her background and political atrategies
supported her in the 16th century as a female monarch in men’s world. I also
compared her with Michelle Obama in the end.
Background
Queen Elizabeth I rigorous education, including classical and modern language
training, history, rhetoric, and philosophy. She spoke several languages, including
fluent French and Italian, and she read Latin and Greek.

Political strategies
“I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and
stomach of a king”
Apologists said…支持者 History precedent: Deborah form the Bible, a female ruler,
prophetess who judged Isarel
Legal theory: the king’s two bodies, one is the mortal “body natural” and the
immortal “body politic”, so her sex does not affect her political status
Queen Elizabeth I had a group of male advisors who supported her, but she had
control in the crucial decisions. Queen Elizabeth I followed absolutism, which
believed in that God had chosen her to be his deputy, like many Renaissance
monarchs. However, Queen Elizabeth’s power was not absolute. She had limited
financial resources because only the Parliament had the right to control the taxes. So
Queen Elizabeth I seek another way to command politics, by means of extraordinary
cult of love. She often said she loved people, and was often liken as the goddess in
mythology. But there it is said that Queen Elizabeth had good skills in dealing with
factions. When she was disobeyed or her authority was challenged, she took ruthless
means.
Love/ Marriage
When Queen Elizabeth I came into throne, she was at the perfect age to get married.
If Elizabeth does not get married, the Tudor will end on her. If Queen Elizabeth I got
married, she could in the same time keep a power balance in Europe and find
alliance, as many of the countries did in the sixteenth century, to have a political
marriage. It was a great pressure on Queen Elizabeth I. Many ambassadors from the
other countries came to win the 青眼. However, one day she declared to keep her
virginity and marry to her country. She was described to be like Diana, the chaste
goddess of the moon. Queen Elizabeth declares herself married to her country,
devoted herself to her people.

Speech

One of the most famous speeches Queen Elizabeth I had delivered is the Tilbury
Speech. The Tilbury Speech was given before the land invasion. Despite that she was
in danger after the Catholics declared people who kill Queen Elizabeth will not
constitute sin, she insisted to go, showing her love towards her subjects. The Spanish
Armada was near England, and the English army were waiting at Tilbury. The purpose
of the Tilbury Speech was to defend her legitimacy of rule, to encourage her people,
and reinforcing her belief that they will win victory. One of the most famous quotes
from the Tilbury speech of Queen Elizabeth I is “I know I have the body of a weak and
feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England
too.” She admits her weakness in body, and but her ambition and inner thoughts
feels like a king. The Tilbury speech shows the queen’s talent and personal qualities
in rhetoric, language of love…

“I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people.”

As we can see in the speech, the queen refers to her people as “faithful” and
“loving,” praising their “loyalty” and “goodwill.” These positive words allow her
subjects to see her as a caring leader whose praise urges them to fight for their
country.

Golden Speech
 Should be dealing the problem of pricing, but she rather focused on herself.
 Queen Elizabeth I's The Golden Speech was supposed to be given to address
concerns of financial matters, but in actuality, Elizabeth's speech was about
herself. She took this moment to thank her subjects for their loyalty and let
them know how much she genuinely loved and cared for them.
it is her subjects’ love that is the most important thing. She wishes nothing more
than to make her people happy, and expresses her gratitude to her subjects. The
Golden Speech is a very humble and loving speech, and at the same time establishes
her great image as the queen who sacrifices for people, married to the country.

Fashion
Queen Elizabeth I brought a sense of romance into the court. She usually appears in
glittering jewels and dazzling gowns. When she goes on the ceremonial journeys, she
looked sacred and in a cult of love, had a perfect image of a beautiful queen in
people’s heart. She dressed to impress people, and she should be the only focus. A
fun story was that she reprimanded a maid for wearing a gown that was too
glamorous for her. Queen Elizabeth wore white and black gowns the most, since it
symbolized virginity and purity. The dresses were gorgeously embroidered with
colored thread, and decorated with gems and jewels.

A famous portrait of Queen Elizabeth I is she wearing fancy and exaggerating clothes,
with her hand holding on the globe, symbolizing talking control of the world. In her

How did Queen Elizabeth stand in the hostile environment towards woman?