Sunday, November 29, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Paradise Lost, Book 4
In book four of Paradise Lost, John Milton writes the story of Eve and Adam in the garden of Eden and how they lost their paradise, which is a result of Satan being thrown out of Heaven, hence the title. After getting kicked out of his paradise, he tries successfully to get Adam and Eve kicked out of theirs.
Milton describes Eden as a "delicious paradise," which anyone thinking about Eden, would think of as a lush garden full of trees, animals, goodness, and the delicious fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. "Our death the Tree of Knowledge grew fast by," is a reference to the fruit Eve and Adam took from the tree and caused the fall of Adam, which caused the first damnation of our species.
In the first couple of pages of book four, Satan declares "The hell within him, for within him Hell" and "Which way I fly is Hell; myself am Hell," meaning that who ever he tries to be, what ever he does, and wherever he goes, hell will follow him and be with him. He knows he can never repent and is eternally damned. He might as well try to bring others, such as Adam and Eve, down to his level.
Milton describes Eden as a "delicious paradise," which anyone thinking about Eden, would think of as a lush garden full of trees, animals, goodness, and the delicious fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. "Our death the Tree of Knowledge grew fast by," is a reference to the fruit Eve and Adam took from the tree and caused the fall of Adam, which caused the first damnation of our species.
In the first couple of pages of book four, Satan declares "The hell within him, for within him Hell" and "Which way I fly is Hell; myself am Hell," meaning that who ever he tries to be, what ever he does, and wherever he goes, hell will follow him and be with him. He knows he can never repent and is eternally damned. He might as well try to bring others, such as Adam and Eve, down to his level.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Millet and Bouguereau
William Bouguereau and Jean-Francois Millet were both French painters and they both studied classic subjects, but they had different perspectives and styles. Through their art, Bouguereau seemed to want to look for positive things in life, while Millet wanted to show the dark truths.
William Bouguereau seemed to beautify the human form, while Jean-Francois Millet was more critically acclaimed, because of his concentration on the "honest" depiction of the realistic and hardworking ways of life, making the nature that surrounded the figure the most important part of his work. As artists, Bouguereau was definitely a romanticist, while Millet was a realist.
"Newborn Lamb" by Millet and "Shepherdess" by Bouguereau are similarly themed concepts with each of their own styles thrown into it. Fronia Wissman compares them by writing, "Bouguereau's shepherdess shows how Bouguereau has citified, or, at the least, taken the country out of his version. Millet's peasant does not pose; she has work to do and walks sturdily along."
As an art lover, one can both appreciate Bouguereau's style and work while appreciating Millet's. Whether someone wants to dwell on optimism of life or the harsh reality, they can appreciate and learn from both artist's works for their skill, craft, themes, and the messages they are trying to convey.
William Bouguereau seemed to beautify the human form, while Jean-Francois Millet was more critically acclaimed, because of his concentration on the "honest" depiction of the realistic and hardworking ways of life, making the nature that surrounded the figure the most important part of his work. As artists, Bouguereau was definitely a romanticist, while Millet was a realist.
"Newborn Lamb" by Millet and "Shepherdess" by Bouguereau are similarly themed concepts with each of their own styles thrown into it. Fronia Wissman compares them by writing, "Bouguereau's shepherdess shows how Bouguereau has citified, or, at the least, taken the country out of his version. Millet's peasant does not pose; she has work to do and walks sturdily along."
As an art lover, one can both appreciate Bouguereau's style and work while appreciating Millet's. Whether someone wants to dwell on optimism of life or the harsh reality, they can appreciate and learn from both artist's works for their skill, craft, themes, and the messages they are trying to convey.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Elizabeth Tudor and James Stuart
The heroes of past and present are usually celebrities, athletes, comic book characters, community role models, and teachers. A hero can be anyone from a human to an alien like Superman, with a desire to change the world for the better. Heroes are people who others look up to and respect. They are noted as being people who have shown courage in unlikely circumstances, donated their time and money for a good cause, made a difference in someone else's lives, and impacted their community for the greater good.
Queen Elizabeth is a person in the 16th and 17th century who fits the definition of a heroine and who measures up to the heroes of the past and the present, because of the qualities she exemplifies in her actions, speeches, and writings. When comparing Elizabeth to her successor, King James, we ought to think Elizabeth fits the definition of a hero more than he does.
James and Elizabeth overcame childhood tragedies and rose above them. During Elizabeth's childhood, her mother Anne Boleyn was also executed for "adultery and treason," as ordered by Elizabeth's father King Henry VIII (Ruark). During James' childhood, his father was murdered and his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, was ordered to execution for treason under the reign of Elizabeth.
To any child, the death of a parent would be traumatic, and James and Elizabeth had to grow up faster than other people, dealing with things they shouldn't have had to until they were much older. Even though Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII had taken away her mother when she was a child, Elizabeth took away James's mother in the very same way. We ought to think James was bitter towards Elizabeth because of this fact, but grateful Elizabeth had made James her heir, and it shaped his ruling being much more different than hers.
Elizabeth also had to deal the choices made by her father. Elizabeth was declared illegitimate but remained in the kingdom's hold. King Henry VIII's escapades with his many wives lead to England's "condemnation of the female sex" (Norton 662). Elizabeth would have to fight against sexism during her reign and change the society's mind about women. After her reign, James would lead in society that was less misogynistic because of Elizabeth's legacy.
While James was married and had heirs, Elizabeth sacrificed her own love life and happiness for the good of the country. Elizabeth was impacted deeply by the events of her childhood and she "began to understand how men held the powers in marriages" based on her parent's marriage, which is why she hesitated giving herself over to a man (Prebilic). She address her thoughts on marriage to her critics, in her speech "to Joint Delegation of Lords and Commons, November 5 1566." She told her critics, "I will marry as soon as I can conveniently, unless God take him away with who I mind to marry, or myself, or else some other great let happen." She wanted to make it know if she were to marry and have children, they wouldn't take the place of England in her heart.
Elizabeth thought if she were to marry, she would have to obey her husband and the kingdom would honor her husband's decisions over her own, and she would lose her own true identity and leadership powers. She seemed to waiver between getting married and being "only married to her country" (Norton 687). She argued her critic's " second point was the limitation of the succession of the crown, wherein was nothing said for my safety, but only for themselves," meaning the critics wanted to keep the Tudors in office, instead of the kingdom being lead by another family, because that's what they were used to and secure with. Just because there wasn't a direct heir, didn't mean there were any heirs. Elizabeth knew she would be replaced by one of her many half-sibling's children, such as James.
Elizabeth remained focus on the good of the country and wouldn't let the distraction of a male suitor or having children interrupt the work she was trying to achieve. "The other great that happened" which Elizabeth mentioned in her speech, was in fact Elizabeth's admirable ruling over England all on her own. Heroes live solitary lives and believe in sacrificing their own lives and happy ways of living for someone or something else.
James and Elizabeth were both scholars and both valued the knowledge that comes through having a strong education . Heroes are intelligent and are usually well educated in both book smarts and street smarts. They know how to handle situations with ease and come up with clever ways of outsmarting their enemies. Elizabeth, as a child "was one of the few Englishwomen to benefit from humanist support for the education of females" (Crane). We ought to think Elizabeth tried to pay it forward by becoming a powerful leader and inspiring other females.
"Elizabeth's education provided perhaps the one constant in her early life" and gave her experience and knowledge for which she would later use to benefit herself when ruling England (Crane). Elizabeth could speak five languages, which certainly came as an advantage when she became queen and had to deal with foreign policy (Norton 688). Knowledge is power and it was very useful to both James and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth and James were both writers. Like Elizabeth, James also wrote about his beliefs in God, and was considered "the wisest fool in Christendom" (Weldon). Elizabeth's writing of her poetry, speeches, and letters proved "suffering produced great art" (Ruark). They both wrote about the trials in their own lives and their personal beliefs on how to solve them. Elizabeth was a strong queen and her writings shows us a female writer who was "neither silenced and marginalized nor oppositional" and her writing "shed important light on the cultural meanings of womanhood" (Summit). As a writer and a leader, Elizabeth fought against the oppression of woman, by becoming an example of a strong woman. Elizabeth like Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Elizabeth Cary, Aemilla Phillips, and Mary Wroth made vast improvements in the sexist writing society once known as a man's world, and made people think twice about underestimating women.
James and Elizabeth both made decisions during their reigns based on the examples of the rulers who came before them. Elizabeth honored her father, King Henry VIII's legacy and the impact he had on the kingdom in several of her speeches. She wrote "Though I be a woman, yet I have as good a courage, answerable to my place, as ever my father had," (Hibbert 149) showing the kingdom she was influenced by her father and she was her father's daughter. She grew up hearing how much her father wished she was a male heir and it inspired her to show him and the country of England, she could rule just as successfully being a woman. Despite how her father lived and the choices he made, Elizabeth had the best qualities from him and drew from the experiences to remain strong when facing difficulties.
Just because Elizabeth fought for women's rights, didn't mean she believed men were weaker than women. She believed a woman was equal to a man, and vice versa. Elizabeth claimed to the troops of Tilbury that she might have "the body of a weak and feeble woman," she also had "the heart and stomach of a king" (Crane). Elizabeth inspired men to write based on her actions and life, such as Edmund Spenser writing The Faerie Queene, with the Faerie Queene herself being based on Elizabeth.
Elizabeth didn't want men to feel like women were trying to take over. If Elizabeth thought men were weaker than women, she would have named a female successor instead of a male one. Elizabeth had faith that James could lead England as well as she did, otherwise she would have not named him as her heir on her deathbed.
James had a different ruling theory than Elizabeth. Elizabeth's godson John Harrington wrote, "We all loved her for she said she loved us," indicating that Elizabeth wanted to prove her love for her people and she wanted her people to love her in return (Norton 687). James had an huge ego and compared himself to Julius Caesar and King Arthur, two powerful rulers who demanded respect from their subjects (de Lisle). We ought to think James studied Caesar and Arthur and wanted to emulate their ruling stances. While Elizabeth talked about loving her subjects and hoping they loved her, James was all about "fear and subjection "(Norton 1235). We ought to think James should have followed Elizabeth's example and temperament, rather than trying to rule with his own style.
James and Elizabeth both had their critics. Elizabeth was criticized for not being married, being a woman, and being indecisive. When James was made king, the critics of Queen Elizabeth were thrilled, because he was married, had heirs, and they hoped "he would prove more decisive" than Elizabeth (Norton 1235). However, he was most successful through "canny inaction," just like Elizabeth. The decisions James made during his reign proved to the critics that Elizabeth made smart calculated moves even if they didn't believe so at the time.
Elizabeth and James both believed in something bigger than their selves and relied on a higher power to give them strength. Queen Elizabeth and King James both believed they got their power from God, which they both used for self-fashioning (Norton 1235). While King James used God's power to make his subjects fear him, Elizabeth used God's power as a way to let her subjects know she was the vessel of God. Elizabeth put her trust in God. She prayed to him in the tower of London, telling God he was the only one she could confine in and asked him to "suffer me not (I beseech thee) to build my foundation upon the sands, but open the rock, whereby all blasts of blustering weather may have no power against me, amen" (Ruark). We ought to think the prayer meant Elizabeth wanted God to make her a invincible leader and come off as strong force or moral compass for England.
Elizabeth based her decisions on God's power such as marriage, foreign policy, Mary's execution, and other threats to her leadership (Crane). Elizabeth was grateful to God for giving her the privilege of becoming queen and hoped to show her gratitude by being a great queen, by using the power she had to do good (Norton 701). Heroes need to have a clear set of values and morals, but also have to be able to see the grey ambivalence which exists in dark times.
James and Elizabeth were guides for their kingdom in times of peril. Heroes have to stay strong for themselves and the people they are fighting for. They have to know what they are doing, have conviction, and not waiver. Elizabeth and James treated their subjects in different ways. While Elizabeth was "charismatic" and accessible to the people, James showed little of his personality to his subjects (Norton 1236). She was open and approachable and took the time to communicate with her subjects, while he believed himself to be better than his subjects and didn't rely on their input. While Elizabeth had to earn her subject's respect with her actions and words, James thought he deserved "deferential awe," without working for it (Norton 1236). Either way or style they ruled, they needed to be a constant strength for people of their kingdom.
Elizabeth and James both exemplified determination to achieve peace. Heroes know when to pick their battles and when to make important moves. They use the powers they have for good and are peacemakers in times of adversity. As rulers, they both had their successes and failures. While James was successful in ending the Anglo–Spanish War, Elizabeth lead England for thirty years with "maintaining peace at home and abroad" (Crane).
James and Elizabeth both dealt well with foreign policy. Elizabeth was "in contrast to male predecessors she sought to avoid foreign wars" (Crane). If war was the only option, she would defend her country and people at all costs. "Her greatest triumph in warding off danger was the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588" (Crane). We ought to think Elizabeth fought to win and made sure her enemies knew she meant business. James and Elizabeth, like other heroes needs to show their enemies they take war very seriously.
James and Elizabeth believed in being cautious. Heroes are cautious in times of uncertainty, such as war. Elizabeth was determined to create peace within her country and to find a middle ground between "the radical Catholics and the extremist Puritans" (Thomas 88). Both James and Elizabeth agonized over this issue, knew the fighting between two religions would be an losing battle, and hoped it would clear up on its own. James was determined to "unify" Scotland and England "as a single nation," but failed to do so (Norton 1236). They were both determined to do something, saw it was going to be too hard, and backed off.
James and Elizabeth had different opinions on running England's economy. While Elizabeth was thrifty with her spending and took the advise of her advisors, James was reckless with his funds. During James' reign, England had financial difficulties, because his court was "disorderly and wasteful," mainly because he did not agree with Parliament (Norton 1237). He felt as being king, he didn't need anyone telling him how to rule. If the critics thought Elizabeth was making poor decisions, then James must have been a bigger disappointment.
Elizabeth and James weren't afraid to die. Heroes are martyrs and not afraid of death brings, because they will live on, in one way or another. Elizabeth wrote, "And for you sakes it is that I desire to live, to keep you from worse. For as for me, I assure you I find no great cause I should be fond to live; I take no pleasure in it that I should much wish it, nor conceive such terror in death that I should greatly fear it" (Roark).
Heroes like Elizabeth and James never give up. After ruling England for 30 years like Elizabeth and 22 years like James while trying to balance everything and maintaining peace, it would be hard not be to able to hand over the reign to someone else and give up. They weren't able to give up and they had to remain strong for their country for all those years. Through her writings, "Elizabeth turns the value of male heroism around: Dying is easy, living is hard" (Ruark). We ought to thinking that it is the living and fighting for England every day that is hard to a ruler, death should look like a vacation in the eyes of Elizabeth and James.
James and Elizabeth leave a long legacy of inspiration and example, through their writings and histories. Heroes will live on after their physical death, through their stories of their lives, good and bad deeds, and examples of their souls, because parents will use their experiences as a teaching tool for raising their children. While James is known best in today's society for his name dedication of the King James version of the Holy Bible. If we study the thoughts Elizabeth left in her letters and speeches, we should read them as a testimony of her soul and the imprint she left on the world. That way her legacy lives on and goes on to next generation of women and others who could use an example.
When comparing Elizabeth to James, they both had their strengths and flaws. They both made decisions changing and securing England for the future. If we had to pick who was more of a hero out of the two, we should pick Queen Elizabeth, because she had to fight harder on every level. Queen Elizabeth I had all the best qualities of the past and present heroes or heroines. Elizabeth was one of the greatest queens England has ever had, because she sacrificed her own life to make good decisions for her kingdom, because she loved England, and she is the type of ruler any kingdom needs.
Works Cited
Crane, Mary Thomas. "Elizabeth I." Sixteenth-Century British Non-dramatic Writers: Second Series. Ed. David A. Richardson. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 136. Detroit: Gale Research, 1994. Literature Resource Center. Gale. UALC Weber State University. 24 Oct. 2009.
de Lisle, Leanda. After Elizabeth: The Rise of James of Scotland and the Struggle for the Throne of England. Ballantine Books 2007
Hibbert, Christopher. The Virgin Queen: Elizabeth I, Genius Of The Golden Age. Da Capo Press 1992
Knowles, Sarah. "Elizabeth." Film & History. 33.2 (July 2003): p78. Literature Resource Center. Gale. UALC Weber State University. 24 Oct. 2009.
The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume B: The Sixteenth Century/The Early Seventeenth Century. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. W.W. Norton & Co.; 8th edition 2005
Prebilic, Michelle. "Critical Essay on Elizabeth the Great." Nonfiction Classics for Students: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Nonfiction Works. Ed. David M. Galens, Jennifer Smith, and Elizabeth Thomason. Detroit: Gale, 2002. Literature Resource Center. Gale. UALC Weber State University. 24 Oct. 2009.
Ruark, Jennifer K. "Good Queen Bess, Powerful Sovereign and an Author, Too." Chronicle of Higher Education. 47.4 (22 Sept. 2000): A24-A26. Rpt. in Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800. Ed. Thomas J. Schoenberg and Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 118. Detroit: Gale, 2005. A24-A26. Literature Resource Center. Gale. UALC Weber State University. 23 Oct. 2009.
Summit, Jennifer. "'The Arte of a Ladies Penne': Elizabeth I and the Poetics of Queenship." English Literary Renaissance. 26.3 (Autumn 1996): 395-422. Rpt. in Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800. Ed. Thomas J. Schoenberg and Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 118. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 395-422. Literature Resource Center. Gale. UALC Weber State University. 23 Oct. 2009.
Thomas, Jane Resh. Behind the Mask: The Life of Queen Elizabeth. Clarion Books 1998
Weldon, Anthony. The Court And Character Of King James. Kessinger Publishing 1817
Queen Elizabeth is a person in the 16th and 17th century who fits the definition of a heroine and who measures up to the heroes of the past and the present, because of the qualities she exemplifies in her actions, speeches, and writings. When comparing Elizabeth to her successor, King James, we ought to think Elizabeth fits the definition of a hero more than he does.
James and Elizabeth overcame childhood tragedies and rose above them. During Elizabeth's childhood, her mother Anne Boleyn was also executed for "adultery and treason," as ordered by Elizabeth's father King Henry VIII (Ruark). During James' childhood, his father was murdered and his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, was ordered to execution for treason under the reign of Elizabeth.
To any child, the death of a parent would be traumatic, and James and Elizabeth had to grow up faster than other people, dealing with things they shouldn't have had to until they were much older. Even though Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII had taken away her mother when she was a child, Elizabeth took away James's mother in the very same way. We ought to think James was bitter towards Elizabeth because of this fact, but grateful Elizabeth had made James her heir, and it shaped his ruling being much more different than hers.
Elizabeth also had to deal the choices made by her father. Elizabeth was declared illegitimate but remained in the kingdom's hold. King Henry VIII's escapades with his many wives lead to England's "condemnation of the female sex" (Norton 662). Elizabeth would have to fight against sexism during her reign and change the society's mind about women. After her reign, James would lead in society that was less misogynistic because of Elizabeth's legacy.
While James was married and had heirs, Elizabeth sacrificed her own love life and happiness for the good of the country. Elizabeth was impacted deeply by the events of her childhood and she "began to understand how men held the powers in marriages" based on her parent's marriage, which is why she hesitated giving herself over to a man (Prebilic). She address her thoughts on marriage to her critics, in her speech "to Joint Delegation of Lords and Commons, November 5 1566." She told her critics, "I will marry as soon as I can conveniently, unless God take him away with who I mind to marry, or myself, or else some other great let happen." She wanted to make it know if she were to marry and have children, they wouldn't take the place of England in her heart.
Elizabeth thought if she were to marry, she would have to obey her husband and the kingdom would honor her husband's decisions over her own, and she would lose her own true identity and leadership powers. She seemed to waiver between getting married and being "only married to her country" (Norton 687). She argued her critic's " second point was the limitation of the succession of the crown, wherein was nothing said for my safety, but only for themselves," meaning the critics wanted to keep the Tudors in office, instead of the kingdom being lead by another family, because that's what they were used to and secure with. Just because there wasn't a direct heir, didn't mean there were any heirs. Elizabeth knew she would be replaced by one of her many half-sibling's children, such as James.
Elizabeth remained focus on the good of the country and wouldn't let the distraction of a male suitor or having children interrupt the work she was trying to achieve. "The other great that happened" which Elizabeth mentioned in her speech, was in fact Elizabeth's admirable ruling over England all on her own. Heroes live solitary lives and believe in sacrificing their own lives and happy ways of living for someone or something else.
James and Elizabeth were both scholars and both valued the knowledge that comes through having a strong education . Heroes are intelligent and are usually well educated in both book smarts and street smarts. They know how to handle situations with ease and come up with clever ways of outsmarting their enemies. Elizabeth, as a child "was one of the few Englishwomen to benefit from humanist support for the education of females" (Crane). We ought to think Elizabeth tried to pay it forward by becoming a powerful leader and inspiring other females.
"Elizabeth's education provided perhaps the one constant in her early life" and gave her experience and knowledge for which she would later use to benefit herself when ruling England (Crane). Elizabeth could speak five languages, which certainly came as an advantage when she became queen and had to deal with foreign policy (Norton 688). Knowledge is power and it was very useful to both James and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth and James were both writers. Like Elizabeth, James also wrote about his beliefs in God, and was considered "the wisest fool in Christendom" (Weldon). Elizabeth's writing of her poetry, speeches, and letters proved "suffering produced great art" (Ruark). They both wrote about the trials in their own lives and their personal beliefs on how to solve them. Elizabeth was a strong queen and her writings shows us a female writer who was "neither silenced and marginalized nor oppositional" and her writing "shed important light on the cultural meanings of womanhood" (Summit). As a writer and a leader, Elizabeth fought against the oppression of woman, by becoming an example of a strong woman. Elizabeth like Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Elizabeth Cary, Aemilla Phillips, and Mary Wroth made vast improvements in the sexist writing society once known as a man's world, and made people think twice about underestimating women.
James and Elizabeth both made decisions during their reigns based on the examples of the rulers who came before them. Elizabeth honored her father, King Henry VIII's legacy and the impact he had on the kingdom in several of her speeches. She wrote "Though I be a woman, yet I have as good a courage, answerable to my place, as ever my father had," (Hibbert 149) showing the kingdom she was influenced by her father and she was her father's daughter. She grew up hearing how much her father wished she was a male heir and it inspired her to show him and the country of England, she could rule just as successfully being a woman. Despite how her father lived and the choices he made, Elizabeth had the best qualities from him and drew from the experiences to remain strong when facing difficulties.
Just because Elizabeth fought for women's rights, didn't mean she believed men were weaker than women. She believed a woman was equal to a man, and vice versa. Elizabeth claimed to the troops of Tilbury that she might have "the body of a weak and feeble woman," she also had "the heart and stomach of a king" (Crane). Elizabeth inspired men to write based on her actions and life, such as Edmund Spenser writing The Faerie Queene, with the Faerie Queene herself being based on Elizabeth.
Elizabeth didn't want men to feel like women were trying to take over. If Elizabeth thought men were weaker than women, she would have named a female successor instead of a male one. Elizabeth had faith that James could lead England as well as she did, otherwise she would have not named him as her heir on her deathbed.
James had a different ruling theory than Elizabeth. Elizabeth's godson John Harrington wrote, "We all loved her for she said she loved us," indicating that Elizabeth wanted to prove her love for her people and she wanted her people to love her in return (Norton 687). James had an huge ego and compared himself to Julius Caesar and King Arthur, two powerful rulers who demanded respect from their subjects (de Lisle). We ought to think James studied Caesar and Arthur and wanted to emulate their ruling stances. While Elizabeth talked about loving her subjects and hoping they loved her, James was all about "fear and subjection "(Norton 1235). We ought to think James should have followed Elizabeth's example and temperament, rather than trying to rule with his own style.
James and Elizabeth both had their critics. Elizabeth was criticized for not being married, being a woman, and being indecisive. When James was made king, the critics of Queen Elizabeth were thrilled, because he was married, had heirs, and they hoped "he would prove more decisive" than Elizabeth (Norton 1235). However, he was most successful through "canny inaction," just like Elizabeth. The decisions James made during his reign proved to the critics that Elizabeth made smart calculated moves even if they didn't believe so at the time.
Elizabeth and James both believed in something bigger than their selves and relied on a higher power to give them strength. Queen Elizabeth and King James both believed they got their power from God, which they both used for self-fashioning (Norton 1235). While King James used God's power to make his subjects fear him, Elizabeth used God's power as a way to let her subjects know she was the vessel of God. Elizabeth put her trust in God. She prayed to him in the tower of London, telling God he was the only one she could confine in and asked him to "suffer me not (I beseech thee) to build my foundation upon the sands, but open the rock, whereby all blasts of blustering weather may have no power against me, amen" (Ruark). We ought to think the prayer meant Elizabeth wanted God to make her a invincible leader and come off as strong force or moral compass for England.
Elizabeth based her decisions on God's power such as marriage, foreign policy, Mary's execution, and other threats to her leadership (Crane). Elizabeth was grateful to God for giving her the privilege of becoming queen and hoped to show her gratitude by being a great queen, by using the power she had to do good (Norton 701). Heroes need to have a clear set of values and morals, but also have to be able to see the grey ambivalence which exists in dark times.
James and Elizabeth were guides for their kingdom in times of peril. Heroes have to stay strong for themselves and the people they are fighting for. They have to know what they are doing, have conviction, and not waiver. Elizabeth and James treated their subjects in different ways. While Elizabeth was "charismatic" and accessible to the people, James showed little of his personality to his subjects (Norton 1236). She was open and approachable and took the time to communicate with her subjects, while he believed himself to be better than his subjects and didn't rely on their input. While Elizabeth had to earn her subject's respect with her actions and words, James thought he deserved "deferential awe," without working for it (Norton 1236). Either way or style they ruled, they needed to be a constant strength for people of their kingdom.
Elizabeth and James both exemplified determination to achieve peace. Heroes know when to pick their battles and when to make important moves. They use the powers they have for good and are peacemakers in times of adversity. As rulers, they both had their successes and failures. While James was successful in ending the Anglo–Spanish War, Elizabeth lead England for thirty years with "maintaining peace at home and abroad" (Crane).
James and Elizabeth both dealt well with foreign policy. Elizabeth was "in contrast to male predecessors she sought to avoid foreign wars" (Crane). If war was the only option, she would defend her country and people at all costs. "Her greatest triumph in warding off danger was the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588" (Crane). We ought to think Elizabeth fought to win and made sure her enemies knew she meant business. James and Elizabeth, like other heroes needs to show their enemies they take war very seriously.
James and Elizabeth believed in being cautious. Heroes are cautious in times of uncertainty, such as war. Elizabeth was determined to create peace within her country and to find a middle ground between "the radical Catholics and the extremist Puritans" (Thomas 88). Both James and Elizabeth agonized over this issue, knew the fighting between two religions would be an losing battle, and hoped it would clear up on its own. James was determined to "unify" Scotland and England "as a single nation," but failed to do so (Norton 1236). They were both determined to do something, saw it was going to be too hard, and backed off.
James and Elizabeth had different opinions on running England's economy. While Elizabeth was thrifty with her spending and took the advise of her advisors, James was reckless with his funds. During James' reign, England had financial difficulties, because his court was "disorderly and wasteful," mainly because he did not agree with Parliament (Norton 1237). He felt as being king, he didn't need anyone telling him how to rule. If the critics thought Elizabeth was making poor decisions, then James must have been a bigger disappointment.
Elizabeth and James weren't afraid to die. Heroes are martyrs and not afraid of death brings, because they will live on, in one way or another. Elizabeth wrote, "And for you sakes it is that I desire to live, to keep you from worse. For as for me, I assure you I find no great cause I should be fond to live; I take no pleasure in it that I should much wish it, nor conceive such terror in death that I should greatly fear it" (Roark).
Heroes like Elizabeth and James never give up. After ruling England for 30 years like Elizabeth and 22 years like James while trying to balance everything and maintaining peace, it would be hard not be to able to hand over the reign to someone else and give up. They weren't able to give up and they had to remain strong for their country for all those years. Through her writings, "Elizabeth turns the value of male heroism around: Dying is easy, living is hard" (Ruark). We ought to thinking that it is the living and fighting for England every day that is hard to a ruler, death should look like a vacation in the eyes of Elizabeth and James.
James and Elizabeth leave a long legacy of inspiration and example, through their writings and histories. Heroes will live on after their physical death, through their stories of their lives, good and bad deeds, and examples of their souls, because parents will use their experiences as a teaching tool for raising their children. While James is known best in today's society for his name dedication of the King James version of the Holy Bible. If we study the thoughts Elizabeth left in her letters and speeches, we should read them as a testimony of her soul and the imprint she left on the world. That way her legacy lives on and goes on to next generation of women and others who could use an example.
When comparing Elizabeth to James, they both had their strengths and flaws. They both made decisions changing and securing England for the future. If we had to pick who was more of a hero out of the two, we should pick Queen Elizabeth, because she had to fight harder on every level. Queen Elizabeth I had all the best qualities of the past and present heroes or heroines. Elizabeth was one of the greatest queens England has ever had, because she sacrificed her own life to make good decisions for her kingdom, because she loved England, and she is the type of ruler any kingdom needs.
Works Cited
Crane, Mary Thomas. "Elizabeth I." Sixteenth-Century British Non-dramatic Writers: Second Series. Ed. David A. Richardson. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 136. Detroit: Gale Research, 1994. Literature Resource Center. Gale. UALC Weber State University. 24 Oct. 2009
de Lisle, Leanda. After Elizabeth: The Rise of James of Scotland and the Struggle for the Throne of England. Ballantine Books 2007
Hibbert, Christopher. The Virgin Queen: Elizabeth I, Genius Of The Golden Age. Da Capo Press 1992
Knowles, Sarah. "Elizabeth." Film & History. 33.2 (July 2003): p78. Literature Resource Center. Gale. UALC Weber State University. 24 Oct. 2009
The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume B: The Sixteenth Century/The Early Seventeenth Century. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. W.W. Norton & Co.; 8th edition 2005
Prebilic, Michelle. "Critical Essay on Elizabeth the Great." Nonfiction Classics for Students: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Nonfiction Works. Ed. David M. Galens, Jennifer Smith, and Elizabeth Thomason. Detroit: Gale, 2002. Literature Resource Center. Gale. UALC Weber State University. 24 Oct. 2009
Ruark, Jennifer K. "Good Queen Bess, Powerful Sovereign and an Author, Too." Chronicle of Higher Education. 47.4 (22 Sept. 2000): A24-A26. Rpt. in Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800. Ed. Thomas J. Schoenberg and Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 118. Detroit: Gale, 2005. A24-A26. Literature Resource Center. Gale. UALC Weber State University. 23 Oct. 2009
Summit, Jennifer. "'The Arte of a Ladies Penne': Elizabeth I and the Poetics of Queenship." English Literary Renaissance. 26.3 (Autumn 1996): 395-422. Rpt. in Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800. Ed. Thomas J. Schoenberg and Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 118. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 395-422. Literature Resource Center. Gale. UALC Weber State University. 23 Oct. 2009
Thomas, Jane Resh. Behind the Mask: The Life of Queen Elizabeth. Clarion Books 1998
Weldon, Anthony. The Court And Character Of King James. Kessinger Publishing 1817
Friday, November 13, 2009
The Windows
In George Herbert's poem, "The Windows," the narrator asks many questions about God's action. Herbert wonders how any man can "preach the eternal word" when "he is a brittle crazy glass." He wonders how can men teach the word of God, when they are destructive of their own righteousness.
Herbert wonders why God would let imperfect beings teach and enter into his temples. The temple is "a window through thy grace," which is symbolic of what God wants to reveal to us mere mortals. If God shines his light onto us, he will make the knowledge of him "shine within" us. Herbert wonders if through church God's light "reverend grows" or if it goes bleak and thin." He wonders if a person has to go to a church or temple to feel God or can they be spiritual on their own.
"Doctrine and life, colors and lights, in one" is Herbert's way of saying, people can live with the doctrine of God, as well as have their own truth about the world. It's like the religious saying, "Be in the world, but not of the world."
When Herbert writes, " . . .but speech alone doth vanish like a flaring thing," he is wondering if people can truly remain faithful through hearing others speak of God's truth. He believes people need to discover the truth on their own, and have evidence for themselves. "And in the ear, not conscience, ring" is a reference to the narrator wanting God to speak to him and other people directly, so they will have proof and know if God really exists or not.
Herbert wonders why God would let imperfect beings teach and enter into his temples. The temple is "a window through thy grace," which is symbolic of what God wants to reveal to us mere mortals. If God shines his light onto us, he will make the knowledge of him "shine within" us. Herbert wonders if through church God's light "reverend grows" or if it goes bleak and thin." He wonders if a person has to go to a church or temple to feel God or can they be spiritual on their own.
"Doctrine and life, colors and lights, in one" is Herbert's way of saying, people can live with the doctrine of God, as well as have their own truth about the world. It's like the religious saying, "Be in the world, but not of the world."
When Herbert writes, " . . .but speech alone doth vanish like a flaring thing," he is wondering if people can truly remain faithful through hearing others speak of God's truth. He believes people need to discover the truth on their own, and have evidence for themselves. "And in the ear, not conscience, ring" is a reference to the narrator wanting God to speak to him and other people directly, so they will have proof and know if God really exists or not.
Heaven, Fashion, and the Future
For American Lit, I am still reading O Pioneers by Willa Cather. I also read Cather's "Neighbor Rosicky," Robert Frost's "In Neglect," Langston Hughes's "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," Hughes's "I Too," and Hughes's "Mulatto."
For British Lit, I read Lanyer, Wroth, Herbert, Crashaw, and Bacon.
For Espanol, we are learning weather terms, months, present progressives, and seasons in Spanish.
For Drawing, I had to draw what I though heaven would be like. I drew a picture I had of Maui with a whale, a beach, and trees. I also had to draw a fashion illustration.
I registered for Spring semester this morning. I am taking Design 2D, Biographical Writing, First Year Spanish II, and American Civilizations.
For British Lit, I read Lanyer, Wroth, Herbert, Crashaw, and Bacon.
For Espanol, we are learning weather terms, months, present progressives, and seasons in Spanish.
For Drawing, I had to draw what I though heaven would be like. I drew a picture I had of Maui with a whale, a beach, and trees. I also had to draw a fashion illustration.
I registered for Spring semester this morning. I am taking Design 2D, Biographical Writing, First Year Spanish II, and American Civilizations.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
O Pioneers!
I first read My Antonia by Willa Cather before I was scheduled to read O Pioneers! This romantic and mythic novel deals with the immigration of Swedes to Nebraska, Cather's home state. Most of her writing themes were cause/effect, English common law, Christianity, and democracy of property. Her protagonist, Alexandra can be viewed as an Amazon goddess.
The characters talk about ideas and belief such as Druidism (Nature worship). This novel deals with the concepts of "Seeing the elephant," which means pioneers going bust on the frontier and having to return to their native land, and "Rain follows the plough." What I found fascinating was the tragic Emil and Marie love story.
The characters talk about ideas and belief such as Druidism (Nature worship). This novel deals with the concepts of "Seeing the elephant," which means pioneers going bust on the frontier and having to return to their native land, and "Rain follows the plough." What I found fascinating was the tragic Emil and Marie love story.
How Roses Came Red
Robert Herrick is a poet with very graphic images and metaphors of sexuality in his poetry. In his poem "How Roses Came Red," Herrick uses the roses as symbols for women and souls in general. "The roses at first were white," meaning they were pure, virtuous, and had virginity.
The color white is used as a symbol for virtue, goodness, godliness, and light. The roses lost their virginity and sense of virtue and became more worldly. There is also "till they could not agree or they more white should be," which could be a reference to clashing churches deciding if the roses in their congregation are more good than the other bushes.
After the roses were pure anymore, they "first came red." Red roses are also a symbol for love and red is also the color of blood, making love and pain the same color. They have lost their innocence. Whenever there is a reference to roses becoming red, it reminds me of the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, catching her card soldiers painting her roses red and ordering "Off with their heads." Parents would probably order the same execution if they caught someone being a bad influence and contaminating their white young roses.
The color white is used as a symbol for virtue, goodness, godliness, and light. The roses lost their virginity and sense of virtue and became more worldly. There is also "till they could not agree or they more white should be," which could be a reference to clashing churches deciding if the roses in their congregation are more good than the other bushes.
After the roses were pure anymore, they "first came red." Red roses are also a symbol for love and red is also the color of blood, making love and pain the same color. They have lost their innocence. Whenever there is a reference to roses becoming red, it reminds me of the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, catching her card soldiers painting her roses red and ordering "Off with their heads." Parents would probably order the same execution if they caught someone being a bad influence and contaminating their white young roses.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Cannery Row
John Steinbeck's Cannery Row is a comedy about the American Dream. Steinbeck uses a picaresque narrative with old, old storytelling. "Our father who art in nature" is a significant quote from the story. The character of Henri the Painter is used as a way for Steinbeck to make fun of modern art. The characters have a reverse work ethic. I found the part when Doc orders a beer milk shake and the excuses he comes up with for ordering one hilarious.
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