Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I of England was the last of the Tudor monarchs to rule. She was a woman of apparently enormous ability which is nowhere more evident than in her conflict with the Spanish under King Phillip II and the great Spanish Armada; simultaneously, however, she has been characterized by some as a woman with little concern for others and a tendency to depend upon selected advisors, who were themselves accountable for many of her successes. As will be demonstrated below, a number of commentators have painted varying portraits of Elizabeth I, from the flattering to the critical to the more objective. This essay will explore these commentaries, arguing that a realistic portrait of a controversial woman such as Elizabeth I must recognize her achievements and her failures, her strengths and her weaknesses, and the role that she played in English history.

Sir Francis Bacon (294), who held a place in Elizabeth's court and later that of James I, wrote that one of her greatest accomplishments was "that in England, a nation particularly fierce and warlike, all things could be swayed and controlled at the beck of a woman, is a matter for the highest admiration." Bacon (294) credits Elizabeth with always, except in the case of the Spanish Armada and the threat it posed, striving for peace: "And this, her desire of peace, I count among her greatest praises." From Bacon's (296) perspective, her "moderation in religion" was also a signal of

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" or "graciousness" seem to be more descriptive of others than this absolute monarch. If Peter the Great was a man with a kind heart, he would not have ridden roughshod over the boyars and others who clung to the "old ways" of traditional Russia. Prince M. M. Shcherbatov (37), an admirer of Peter in general, pointed out that "He ordered bears to be shaved off, he abolished the old Russian garments, and instead of robes he compelled the men to wear German coats. He also forced women to change their traditional clothes for the European garb he associated with modernity and progress. Further, Shcherbatov (40) points out that in attempting to rid Russia and Russians of superstitions (a sign of backwardness, Peter the Great also have the effect of destroying Russia's faith n God. If his is the cease, then it is difficult to understand how Peter was acting "kindly" toward his subjects, for whom the Russian Orthodox faith was of great importance spiritually. Even Shcherbatov (40) was generally positive about Peter, recognizing that by separating Russians from their faith, particularly "at a time when the nation was still unenlightened," Peter's action "may be compared to that of an unskilled gardener, who, from a weak tree, cut
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Approximate Word count = 1842
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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