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Arts patronage and Elizabeth I

The special character of the arts patronage of Elizabeth I and her Court derived from the many anomalies inherent in the 45-year reign of an unmarried woman to whose questionable legitimacy (of birth as well as right to rule) was added her consistent failure to marry or, in later years, to name her successor. The great number of issues raised by these circumstances were addressed in the painting, literature, music, and pageantry sponsored by Elizabeth and by the members of her Court. Over the course of the Queen's long reign there was considerable variation in the particular issues that needed to be addressed and in the strategies invoked to deal with them. But in all instances the ideas expressed in officially-sponsored art and pageantry were calculated to reinforce the legitimacy and stability of Elizabeth's rule. This was manifestly a joint effort since the Queen could not hope to rule without the support of those around her, while this same group of men feared the lack of a legitimate ruler--other than the Catholic Mary Stuart--and saw Elizabeth as the only viable alternative. Thus the Court and Elizabeth worked to overcome the problems presented by a female ruler. Whether she was depicted--in word or image--as an Old Testament figure such as Deborah, a classical goddess such as Diana, a Protestant alternative to the Virgin Mary, or the embodiment of endangered England itself Elizabeth was invariably depicted as necessary to the nation's survival.

Although Elizabeth gained widespread acceptance and approval as sovereign, popular opposition to her rule was always fairly strong. Because she had neither a standing army nor "a very elaborate, effective police structure" Elizabeth, like her father, derived much of her authority from her ability "to convince the people of [her] sanctity and power rather than from brute force" (Levin, "'We shall never" 79). Seditious words uttered against Elizabeth were usually dealt with hars...

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Arts patronage and Elizabeth I. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 15:31, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1708992.html