Bloody Elizabeth?

Class Question:

Queen Elizabeth's predecessor, Mary I of England, is referred to by historians as 'Bloody Mary' because of persecution of Protestants in England.

Upon succeeding Bloody Mary, Elizabeth I established Protestantism as the official religion of Great Britain. She began her long persecution of the nation's Catholic's immediately after.

Question: Why is Mary I notorious for her persecution of Protestants, and referred to as Bloody Mary? Yet, Elizabeth I is referred to as Good Queen Bess, despite her long persecution of Catholics? Is this another instance of Tonypandy?

https://muse.jhu.edu/article/50912

"The Virgin Queen"

Is Elizabeth's "Virgin Queen' title an accurate description, or is it a result of Tonypandy that was created among her followers? If so, what motives (if any) could have led to the creation of her famous title?

Can They Be Similar?

Major  Challenge:  Reflective  Paragraph

Although  I  was  not  happy  with  either  of  the  two  president  candidates  for  our  most  recent  election,  and  I  despise  politics,  after  reading  about  Queen  Elizabeth  I  almost  immediately  thought  of  Hillary  Clinton.  If  Hillary  Clinton  had  become  president,  I  feel  as  if  she  and  Queen  Elizabeth  could  learn  something  from  each  other.  It  appears  that  Mrs.  Clinton  is  as  independent  as  Queen  Elizabeth,  which  I  admire  about  Queen  Elizabeth,  especially  in  a  time  where  not  many  people  wanted  only  a  Queen  to  rule.  Mrs.  Clinton  would  have  faced  the  same  criticism  and  struggles  as  Queen  Elizabeth  if  she  had  become  the  first  woman  President  of  the  United  States.  Mrs.  Clinton  would  have  had  to  defend  her  femininity  and  show  masculinity  at  the  same  time  in  order  to  run  the  U.S.,  similar  to  how  Queen  Elizabeth  used  her  femininity  and  masculinity  to  win  wars  and  make  decisions  for  England.  Many  people  are  scared  of  change,  especially  after  our  country  had  already  faced  a  change  in  pattern  when  former  President  Obama  was  elected  into  office;  therefore,  allowing  a  woman  to  take  charge  of  the  United  States  could  have  possibly  upset  a  large  number  of  people.  Despite  the  challenges  the  people  of  the  U.S.  would  have  posed  to  Mrs.  Clinton,  if  she  had  won  the  election  she  would  have  to  earn  the  trust  of  not  only  the  people,  but  her  staff  as  well,  much  like  Queen  Elizabeth  did  so  long  ago.  Perhaps  the  staff  at  the  white  house  would  appreciate  Mrs.  Clinton  the  same  as  the  staff  in  England  appreciated  Queen  Elizabeth,  maybe  not.

I  chose  the  two  pictures  below  to  show  that  despite  the  different  time  frames  these  two  women  are  in,  they  have  faced  similar  challenges.

Pictures  from  Google

Britannia ruled the waves... for a while.

video tribute to "1492: Conquest of Paradise" (Ridley Scott, 1992) original score and performance by Vangelis


I chose this piece, the main theme from Ridley Scott's 1992 film 1492: Conquest of Paradise for its sweeping, epic feel and the sense of strength and purpose. The reign of Queen Elizabeth I saw England's rise as a dominant maritime power of Europe, a position they maintained until well into the nineteenth century. The destruction of the Spanish armada left England as one of the most powerful naval forces in the western hemisphere, paved the way for their subsequent assumption of control over much of the Caribbean and North Atlantic, and eventually opened opportunities for English colonization in North America.

Rash Decisions-Question Challenge

Why do some characters in Shakespeare's plays make decisions more quickly than others?

Romeo and Cassius are two Shakespearean characters that have something in common, they both kill themselves at the end of the play in which they appear. One would think this act would be drawn out and include line upon line of dialogue debating what to do, however this is not the case. In Julius Caesar it takes a mere glimpse, at what Cassius perceives to be his defeated army, for him to request that his servant stab him. Likewise Romeo needed only to see his dead lover for him to be willing to commit suicide on the spot. While one might think that making rash decisions like this is just a trend in Shakespeare's plays, it is not. Hamlet, for instance, takes a whole monologue to debate whether or not he should kill himself and ends up not doing it. So in order to understand this play, and Cassius' character, we must first ask, what does his quick decision making say about his character, and why was this significant to Shakespeare?

No One Dies Silently

CASSIUS:

PINDARUS stabs him 

Caesar, thou art revenged,
Even with the sword that kill'd thee. (4.3.53)

CAESAR: 

in pain - bleeding slowly 

May I remind you sirs that what you are doing may not be in your best interest
I do see my faults and I accept them, wont you allow me to change?
My friends, this is not the way to settle our differences, we can come together
We must work as one to build Rome to what it may be, we mustn't argue
The people of Rome need leaders, wont you allow me to lead? 
Give me the chance I beg for, please help me to live.


BRUTUS:

with sadness - crying 

Caesar, my dear friend,
I care not to kill you, but to look in the best interest of Rome and the people
Please forgive me as I do love you so, i beg you do not feel hate for me
You must realize the damage to our people you have caused
And I care to bring change

I must start with you.

BRUTUS stabs him

CAESAR:

Dies

The two sides of Elizabeth

Do you think that it was effective how Elizabeth used her femininity in her fashion but became more masculine when addressing her subjects?

Victory or Defeat?

      Cassius stood stiffly, peering down at the battle below him. "Titinius has been captured, and I will not let these peevish, vulgar enemies of mine parade me down the streets of Rome in glee of my defeat. Nay," he faced Pindarus, "take thou the hilts, and when my face is covered, as 'tis now, guide thou the sword -- let me give myself honor."
      Pindarus swallowed, listening to the battle cries of the enemy and held the sword steady. Cassius approached, and slay himself upon the blade that ended tyranny.

~    ~

      Titinius rode hastily back after the happy news, stopping in shock at the sight that awaited him. "The honorable fool," he muttered, somber as he gazed at Cassius's lifeless form. "I suppose the only conclusion you could make is the one that led to this. I have failed thee. How could you have interpreted those victory shouts as your demise? Alas, thou has misconstrued everything. It is all over. I must do the Roman's part, and act as I should."

       Squaring his chin, he brought the bloody blade to his chest. He breathed his last, letting life's sweet hold release him as the battle waged on. Only moments before had the battle against tyranny been almost won, but like the tide, the cut of the blades had shifted, and it seemed as if Caesar's avengers were to win this battle that raged with no true answer for the right justice. Bloodshed on both sides seemed the only answerable price for the acts performed both for and against Rome.

https://folgertheatre.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/jc_act4scene3.jpg                                                              

God Save the Queen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN9EC3Gy6Nk

The way each article talked about her death and how much people loved her I instantly thought of this song

Waves in the Wake of Caesar's Death

Things begin to change after Caesar's death. 

Shakespeare begins Act 4 by displaying powerful diction and structural elements in scene 1, line 1, "These many, then, shall die; their names are pricked”. He uses the word pricked to illustrate the specificity of selection for the men Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus wish to execute in order to avenge Caesars death. Shakespeare skillfully incorporates specific placing of commas and semicolons to create a sense of passion and emphasize how serious they are about their cause. These men are willing to kill the friends and families of their enemies, “Your brother too must die; consent you, Lepidus”? “I do consent”. “Prick him down Antony”. I noticed a portion of imagery when Antony said “He shall not live. Look, with a spot I damn him”. Act 4, Scene 1, line 6. I imagined him placing another mark by someone’s name on a long list of people to eradicate. From this scene I gathered this meaning of forming alliances and creating plans of power in hopes of ruling together. In another portion of the book I noticed another moment where a bigger picture lies beneath the surface. In Act 4, Scene 3, Shakespeare structures his phrases in a short and to the point way, to emphasize Brutus’ apathy towards the fact that his wife Portia is dead. “Portia is dead”. “She is dead.” Brutus also states “Speak no more of her: give me a bowl of wine” (156). Messala proceeds to ask Brutus about her, but he just dismisses the topic and moves on. This shows how Brutus refuses to show weakness in front of his troops, representing stoicism.

Battle of Wills

      The song "Empire of Our Own" by RAIGN seems like a good summary of the showdown between Brutus and Antony's armies. The final two acts of the play show Cassius and Brutus trying to defend their actions against the people, and Brutus especially was adamant that what he did was for 'all of Rome' - to free the people from tyranny, though none of their reasons matter as the battle draws near. Therefore, these two parts of the songs seemed particularly reminiscent of what's happening: "Our minds are full of freedom...when love becomes the reason, we fly with kings tonight and come down with an empire of our own," and "Our glory days are numbered."

(Important lyrics start at 50 seconds)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwP0BquR_C8