THE ELIZABETHAN ERA

                 An Era in Time which proved that a woman can rule just as well as a man.
An Era which changed society and which still affects our society today, hundreds of years later. A special time in English literature. A time for the discovery of lands. The fashion of the day still stands out in the pages of History and, like the buildings of the Tudor Era, we still have the theatres of "the Elizabethan Era" today.

"Could I have lived in The Elizabethan Era?" Like every other time in History, there were the rich and the poor, the master and the servant, and, in this particular Era, the Queen and her people. It is one of the most well-documented Era's and the information we have today seems almost overbearing. From the History books to the paintings to personal diaries, we are allowed to wonder through this Unique Era.

                                                  ELIZABETH 1                THE QUEEN

                                               
As we know, the Princess Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry V111 and Anne Boleyn. The death of her mother and her difficult childhood affected this Princess, making her mentally strong, confident in herself and extremely "sure" in how she wanted to rule. All of this shaped Elizabeth 1'st reign. This Queen learnt from both her mother and father's lives and was determined never to make the same mistakes ! She knew from an early age that the love of her "people" would increase the success of her rule. This Queen "listened" to her people and wanted to help make their lives easier and happier if she possibly could. In a man's world, it was a woman who held the highest position in England, and Elizabeth 1 kept this position for over forty years.

Elizabeth 1 was so well-loved by her people, both rich and poor, that a foreign visitor notes:
"The English esteem her not only as their Queen but as their God, for which reason three things are prohibited on pain of death. Firstly, none may enquire whether she is still a virgin, for they hold her too holy to admit to doubt. Secondly, no one may question her government or estates, so completely is she trusted. And lastly, it is forbidden on pain of death to make enquiries as to who is to succeed her on her decease, for fear that if it were known, this person in his lust for government, might plot against the Queen's life. For they love their Queen and fear her mightily, for she ruled her kingdom for so long and kept the peace against all schemes; nor can she bear any other person besides herself to be popular with the people.
Because Elizabeth 1 was "English" by birth, her subjects warmed to her. By birth, she was one of them.