4 THE VIRGIN QUEEN
40-45
Présentation de l’unité
Cette unité invite les élèves à découvrir le parcours exception-
nel de la reine Élisabeth I (1533-1603), fille du roi Henry VIII et
d’Anne Boleyn (figure traitée dans Hit the Road! 1re ).
La problématique propose aux élèves de s’interroger sur la
modernité de cette femme qui a marqué l’histoire, tant par son
destin mouvementé que par ses choix. Cette unité permet donc
aux élèves de découvrir l’âge d’or Élisabéthain, tout en s’inter-
rogeant sur le statut de la femme à cette époque. Ils verront
comment les choix audacieux de cette reine au destin excep-
tionnel ont marqué l’histoire et ont fait d’elle une icône. En
effet, ses choix personnels (choix du célibat pour asseoir son
pouvoir, maîtrise de son image) ont eu un impact direct sur son
peuple, c’est donc naturellement que cette unité s’inscrit dans
l’axe 2 « Espace privé et espace public ».
Le projet final proposé permettra aux élèves non seulement
de réinvestir les connaissances acquises tout au long de l’unité
mais aussi de les préparer aux évaluations communes du
baccalauréat.
Figure majeure de l’histoire de l’Angleterre, les nombreux por-
traits d’Élisabeth ainsi que les romans et films qui lui ont été
consacrés attestent de son importance.
Cette unité peut donc également permettre de basculer aisé-
ment vers l’axe 5 « Fictions et réalités », en fonction des docu-
ments traités.
Parmi les romans dans lesquels la reine apparaît, on peut citer :
Kenilworth by Walter Scott (1821), The Good Queen Bess tril-
ogy by Margaret Irwin (1945-1953), The Life of Elizabeth I by
Alison Weir (1999), The Tudor series by Philippa Gregory
(2001-2008).
Cette unité peut également être étudiée en spécialité LLCER
littérature (voir ci-après).
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_059-100.indd 59
EXTRAIT DU PROGRAMME DE TRONC COMMUN (B.O.)
Axe 2 – Espace privé et espace public
Comment la frontière entre espace public et espace privé est-elle
tracée en fonction des cultures, des croyances, des traditions et
comment évolue-t-elle dans le temps dans chaque aire géogra-
phique étudiée ? […] Par exemple, les femmes ont longtemps été,
ou sont encore, cantonnées à la sphère privée ; leur accès à la
sphère publique (politique, professionnelle, médiatique, sociale) est
un mouvement général qui reste d’actualité […].
Mots-clés en lien avec l’unité : égalité homme-femme /
droit de la famille / éducation / émancipation / mixité
EXTRAIT DU PROGRAMME DE LLCER ANGLAIS,
LITTÉRATURE (B.O.)
Thématique : « Expression et construction de soi »
[…] Le récit d’une vie, d’aventures, ou plus simplement d’une expé-
rience, peut prendre une dimension universelle ou collective dans
le cas de héros imaginaires […] ou de personnes réelles engagées
dans la vie de la cité […] Mémoires ou autobiographies de femmes ou
d’hommes publics, autobiographies et journaux intimes fictionnels,
romans épistolaires, autoportraits en peinture donnent à entendre
ou voir des personnalités affirmées.
Axe d’étude 2 : Mise en scène de soi
DOCUMENTS COMPLÉMENTAIRES POUR LA LLCER :
Pour approfondir la notion de représentation, on pourra pro-
poser aux élèves de travailler sur :
– Un extrait du film Shakespeare in Love (1998)
– La citation de Shakespeare (« All the world’s a stage »).
1. Analyse the way the Queen addresses the actors and her
opinion about women in society, in the following scene from
Shakespeare in Love : www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crq7vOucdB0
2. “All the world’s a stage” (William Shakespeare, As You Like It,
1623). Analyse William Shakespeare’s quote. To what extent can
this quote apply to Queen Elizabeth I and her court and be related
to the theme studied?
PARCOURS EXPRESS
On pourra, selon le temps que l’on souhaite consacrer à l’étude
de cette unité, choisir de ne traiter qu’une partie des documents.
Néanmoins, il sera nécessaire de suivre le parcours ci-après pour
réaliser la tâche finale :
1 Bastard, Lady, Princess : Activité 1.
2 The Warrior Queen : Activités 1, 2 et 4.
3 Married to England : Activité 1.
Unit 4 59
22/09/2020 11:39
 40
image d’ouverture
Présentation du document
It is a still taken from the film “Elizabeth: The Golden
Age” (2007) directed by Shekhar Kapur (who made two
films on her reign). This historical drama film stars Cate
Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush and Clive Owen and focuses
on the second part of the reign of Elizabeth when she
fell in love with Sir Walter Raleigh and had to fight Philip II
of Spain.
Mise en œuvre
On demandera aux élèves de décrire la photo et l’attitude
d’Élisabeth en la mettant en relation avec la problématique
générale de l’unité. Une partie du champ lexical utile tout au
long de l’unité sera travaillé à cette occasion.
Production possible :
The Queen is sitting on her throne: she looks stately/imperious,
determined, bossy and solemn. She is wearing a beautiful
embroidered dress and a headdress composed of feathers. She
must be thinking about her role as a woman and a queen and
how much she has achieved to be there. She seems to defy the
authority of men and more precisely of her father, who consid-
ered it impossible for a woman to become a “king”. She looks
proud and provocative, showing that she managed to get there
thanks to her determination.
40
BEFORE CLASS!
Présentation du document
It is the trailer for the film “Elizabeth” directed by Shekhar
Kapur (1998) starring Cate Blanchett, Joseph Fiennes and
Geoffrey Rush. The film deals with Elizabeth’s coronation
after her sister Mary died and the first part of her reign.
On pourra demander aux élèves de visionner la vidéo à la mai-
son en suivant le principe de la classe inversée, en flashant le
QR code ou en suivant ce lien :
www.imdb.com/video/vi4037280025?playlistId=tt0127536&ref_=tt_
ov_vi.
script
Man: Princess Elizabeth, I am commanded to take you
hence from this place to the tower. You are accused of
conspiring against our sovereign majesty.
Elizabeth: Tonight, I think I die.
Queen Mary’s adviser: For the love of God. Will you leave
your kingdom to a heretic?
Man: The Queen is dead… Long live the Queen!
Voice off: There are moments of crisis…
Elizabeth’s adviser: You have inherited a most parlous
and degenerate state. It is threatened from abroad by
the ambitions of France and Spain and it is weaker than
I have ever known it.
60 Unit 4
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_059-100.indd 60
Voice off: When absolute power…
Lord Robert: A court to worship you. A country to obey
you. I will mean nothing to you.
Elizabeth: Robert, you know you are everything to me.
Voice off: …is held by none…
Man: Until you marry and produce an heir, you will find
no security.
Voice off: … and coveted by all.
Elizabeth: How dare you come into my presence! Why
do you follow me here?
Man: It is my business to protect Your Majesty. Norfolk’s
power in Court is growing. It is said that he and his foreign
allies are raising an army that will outnumber your own.
Elizabeth: I am my father’s daughter. I am not afraid of
anything.
Bishop: Your Majesty would improve all these matters if
you would agree to marry.
Elizabeth: Aye. But marry who, Your Grace? For some
say France and others Spain. So, I'm not sure how best
to please you unless I married one of each.
Voice off: What is hers by right of birth…
Duke of Norfolk: You must reassure His Majesty that the
time is close at hand.
Lord Robert: You are in the greatest danger.
Voice off: … must be defended.
Duke of Norfolk: Today I shall watch the fall of that
heretic girl.
Voice off: All loyalties…
Man: You must take these things so much to heart that
you do not fear to strike.
Voice off: All games of passions…
Lord Robert: You are still my Elizabeth!
Elizabeth: I am not your Elizabeth! I am no man’s
Elizabeth!
Voice off: Must give way…
Elizabeth: I will have one mistress here and no master!
Voice off: … to the duty of a queen.
Elizabeth: And let it all be done.
Voice off: Elizabeth.
Mise en œuvre
On proposera aux élèves de visionner cette bande-annonce
à la maison puis de faire un compte rendu oral des éléments
qu’ils auront compris.
Si certains élèves n’ont pas pu regarder le document vidéo, on
pourra demander à des volontaires de jouer le rôle de média-
teurs pour transmettre les informations à leurs camarades.
Production possible : At the beginning of the trailer, we see
that Elizabeth was in prison and that the nation was in chaos.
When her sister died, she became the new monarch/ruler. The
state was weak and she had a lot of enemies. She then followed
in her father’s footsteps (Henry VIII) and had to overcome the
obstacles. She is presented as an independent woman who
claimed she was “nobody’s Elizabeth”. She decided to follow
her own opinion and stop being manipulated. By facing her
enemies and overcoming the obstacles, she became a
legend.
22/09/2020 11:39
 Dans un deuxième temps, on pourra proposer aux élèves
de mettre la bande-annonce en lien avec l’image d’ouverture
et la problématique. On leur demandera quelle a été l’évolution
(physique et intellectuelle) d’Élisabeth 1re.
Production possible : In the still, Elizabeth looks more experi-
enced, more mature and self-confident. She is represented as
a great and powerful ruler. This is the image of a modern and
strong-willed woman who managed to lead in a man’s world.
41 1 Bastard, Lady, Princess
Cette page a pour objectif de faire découvrir l’enfance d’Élisa-
beth et son statut fluctuant au sein de la Cour des Tudor. Les
élèves comprendront très vite pourquoi son accession au trône
n’a pas été simple et pourquoi sa légitimité a longtemps été
questionnée.
1
41
“You can never be a king”
Présentation du document
It is an extract from the novel “The Lady Elizabeth”
written by Alison Weir and published in 2008. Alison
Weir is a British writer of history books who used to be
a history teacher. She was first published in 1989 with
the publication of Britain’s Royal Families (a historical
non-fiction book). She published her first historical
fiction in 2006, and most of her novels deal with the
Tudor period, “The Lady Elizabeth” depicts the early life
of Princess Elizabeth.
More information on: www.alisonweir.org.uk/biography/
Anticipation
On invitera d’abord les élèves à réfléchir au titre de la page
et à en définir les mots : « bastard », « lady » et « princess » afin
qu’ils devinent son histoire.
On pourra rappeler la définition de bastard : (old-fashioned,
disapproving) a person whose parents were not married to each
other when he or she was born (Oxford dictionary).
→ Elizabeth may have been rejected or excluded from her fam-
ily because she did not have the same mother as her sister Mary.
She was considered illegitimate.
→ Lady is a status and princess, the title that she has as the
daughter of a king. A lady is probably inferior to a princess.
→ The enumeration shows that Elizabeth’s status and place
changed over the years. She may have been deprived/stripped
of her title/ she may have been removed from her title.
Ensuite, on demandera aux élèves d’émettre des hypothèses
sur le titre de l’activité (« You can never be a king »). On pourra
leur poser les questions suivantes :
What do you know about Elizabeth I?
Can you guess who told her that she could never be a king, and
why?
→ Her father or another powerful person probably/must have
told her because women were not supposed to rule at the time/
back then.
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_059-100.indd 61
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
A. On proposera aux élèves de travailler en groupes de trois
ou quatre. On les encouragera à utiliser des synonymes des
noms ou adjectifs du texte et à reformuler pour éviter la
paraphrase.
Group A: Henry VIII
– Description: Henry VIII was big/fat, magnificent/splendid.
He was a great, imposing and impressive king in his daughter’s
eyes.
– Feelings: When he visited his daughter, he behaved as a
loving father swinging her up in the air to make her laugh. He
believed that a child needed time to play and have fun and
seemed to enjoy these visits as much as his daughter. He sud-
denly became angry with her when she said she wanted to be
a king because it was impossible for a woman to rule.
– Relationships: Even though he rarely came, she seemed to
be his dear little girl, he called her “Bessy”, an affectionate nick-
name for Elizabeth. He seemed to be close to her, they had a
special bond. Unfortunately, when it came to discussing his suc-
cessor, her father turned into a distant character she was afraid
of but his fury did not last.
Group B: Elizabeth
– Description: She was probably five or six years old in the
excerpt as she refers to her earliest memories. She was a happy
child who was well-behaved/well-educated and learned. She
wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a
much-admired ruler too. She is depicted as a quick-witted and
independent child.
– Feelings: She admired/looked up to her father but she was
sad not to see him more often/she wished she could see him
more frequently. She was excited when he visited her, she could
not wait to see him: he looked like a god to her with his
beautiful and luxurious clothes. She loved him very much and
felt protected by her giant, powerful father. She did not under-
stand why he suddenly changed and turned cold/she was sur-
prised by his reaction because she was too young to
understand.
– Relationships: Even if he was not a very present father, he
sent her gifts and was nice to her when he came. Even if he was
offended by the idea that she thought she could be the next
monarch, he came back and behaved as the loving father she
looked up to.
B. His change of behaviour was due to the fact that Elizabeth
believed she could succeed him as the next king. He made it
clear that he would have a male heir* (it was his obsession) to
succeed him and that she would never be a monarch because
it was against nature and the laws of god at the time, so totally
impossible and unholy. *On donnera à cette occasion la pro-
nonciation du mot « heir » /ˈeə/.
C. On invitera les élèves à utiliser les structures de la probabilité
au passé (must/ may have been).
→ Women at court must have had a minor role to play, they
were probably considered as objects who were not able to think
by themselves and rule. Women were probably seen as mere
decoration, amusement/ entertainment, they were not taken
seriously: they were used to cast a favourable light on the men
of power even though there must have been more to them than
met the eye. To Henry and his contemporaries, only a man could
lead a country.
Unit 4 61
22/09/2020 11:39
 2 The neglected
princess
41
42-43 2 The Warrior Queen
Présentation du document
L’article de presse proposé sur la Worksheet est extrait du site
www.elizabethan-era.org.uk (un site à visée éducatif, entièrement
consacré à la reine). L’article apporte des informations complé-
mentaires sur l’enfance d’Élisabeth I.
Il conviendra de rappeler aux élèves que les réponses aux ques-
tions de cette activité pourront être réinvesties lors de la réali-
sation du projet final.

Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions

A. On distribuera la Worksheet n°07 aux élèves afin qu’ils lisent
le texte. Cette fiche comporte également un travail lexical
ludique. Les élèves peuvent travailler individuellement ou en
binômes afin de favoriser les échanges et l’entraide (travail de
médiation).

Cette double page invite les élèves à découvrir comment

Élisabeth I va accéder au trône, son extraordinaire ascension
et son statut de femme et cheffe de guerre.

1 Heirs to the throne

42

Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions

A. On distribuera la Worksheet n°08 aux élèves. L’arbre généa-
logique leur permettra de se rendre compte du rang de suc-
cession d’Élisabeth I. Dans la fiche, les dates de naissance sont
en noir, les dates de règne sont précédées d’un dessin de
couronne.
Ce sera l’occasion de faire un rappel sur la lecture des dates
en anglais, par deux nombres (1533 = fifteen thirty-three).

Worksheet disponible sur le site compagnon enseignant en

La Worksheet n°08 débouchera sur une production orale au
version PDF : http://113916.site.magnard.fr/ressources/1759
moyen de la question suivante : What does the family tree show
about the rules of succession in England?
Corrigés de la Worksheet n°07
→ According to this family tree, we can notice that the first male
heir is supposed to accede to the throne. A male is always
2. a. turmoil = B. condition of extreme confusion and
favoured when there is one. This is why Edward took the throne
agitation
when Henry died, even if he was young. Mary came second and
b. befall = D. to happen especially as if by fate (destiny)
only succeeded him because he died and because there was
c. wrapped up = A. fully involved
not another male heir. When she died, Elizabeth became queen
d. heir = C. one who is entitled to succeed to a hereditary
insofar as she was the only heir left and despite the fact that
rank/title
she was a woman.
e. outgrow = E. to grow too large
f. upbringing = I. early training, education
g. gown = F. formal dress
h. kirtle = G. women’s dress (cotte/tunique)
i. petticoat = H. an underskirt

B. Henry VIII neglected Elizabeth, whom he did not consider as

his legitimate daughter anymore. Elizabeth was isolated from
the court and lived with Lady Bryan who complained about the
way she was treated. Lady Bryan was forced to write to Secre-
tary Cromwell so that she could have new clothes for the child.
C. She was deprived/stripped of her title because Henry VIII
had her mother killed (Anne Boleyn). When his new wife, Jane
Seymour gave birth to his son, she was no longer the king’s heir,
and thus, her status was changed. She became Lady Elizabeth Worksheet disponible sur le site compagnon enseignant en
and was isolated from the court. Her father had turned away version PDF : http://113916.site.magnard.fr/ressources/1759
from her because he favoured his son, who became the rightful
heir to the throne of England.

62 Unit 4

9782210112803_HTR_LDP_059-100.indd 62 22/09/2020 11:39

 B. Elizabeth was third in the line of succession so she was not
supposed to rule.
Afin d’approfondir la notion des règles de succession on pourra
fournir aux élèves les informations ci-après.
The Succession to the Crown Act (2013) ended the pre-
vious system of male primogeniture (implemented
through the Bill of Rights and the Act of Settlement)
which allowed a younger son to take the throne instead
of an elder daughter and put an end to the disqualifica-
tion of the heirs who married Catholics. The changes
came into force in all sixteen Realms in March 2015.
To go further: www.bbc.com/news/uk-32073399
2
42
Queen against all odds
Présentation des documents
Le document principal de travail est l’article de la BBC.
Le tableau est proposé en illustration. Le professeur pourra
fournir aux élèves les informations suivantes au moment qu’il
jugera opportun :
“The Coronation portrait” was painted between 1600
and 1610 and was based on an original painting that was
lost. It was made in 1559 when Elizabeth acceded to the
throne at the age of 26. This portrait served as the basis
for coins and medals. On the painting, she holds the orb
and sceptre, which symbolise her authority.
Mise en œuvre
On invitera les élèves à lire le texte, puis ils feront un retour à
la classe. On pourra en faire un Memory game en leur laissant
deux minutes pour mémoriser un maximum d’éléments en les
invitant à utiliser la boîte Help!.
DIFFÉRENCIATION Pour un travail plus guidé ou pour des
élèves plus fragiles, on proposera d’élucider quelques termes,
en binômes
→ Find the equivalents of the following words (in the order of
the text): belle-mère (stepmother), comploter (plot), échapper
(evade), poursuites judiciaires (prosecution), accéder au trône
(ascend the throne), conflit (strife).
En anticipation de la question A, on invitera la classe à mettre
le texte en lien avec le titre de l’activité : Queen against all odds
(contre toute attente).
Réponses aux questions
A. When Henry VIII died, Elizabeth was 13 and her brother
Edward became the new king. Elizabeth lived with her step-
mother Catherine Parr (Henry’s last wife) but was accused of
having an affair with Thomas Seymour, Catherine’s husband.
When she died, he was executed for plotting against the king
and Elizabeth was questioned too but claimed her innocence
and escaped a terrible fate. When her brother Edward died,
her sister Mary succeeded him. As she was a Catholic (contrary
to/unlike her father), she executed a lot of Protestants and was
nicknamed “Bloody Mary”. A rebellion started and Elizabeth
was accused of plotting against her and she was imprisoned.
When Mary died, Elizabeth became the new ruler, she was
25 years old. Although she was not meant to rule, she unex-
pectedly became the new queen / she was crowned against all
odds.
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_059-100.indd 63
B. Travail sur les lignes 24 à 27 du texte : Elizabeth needed to /
had to gain the support of her people because the country had
been divided for years when she ascended the throne. Her cor-
onation was spectacular and the procession which was organ-
ised through London allowed her to meet her people and get
closer to them.
3
43
The kingdom at stake
Présentation du document
Le professeur pourra fournir aux élèves les informations sui-
vantes au moment qu’il jugera opportun :
This is the poster of the second film, “Elizabeth: The
Golden Age” (2007), directed by Shekhar Kapur and the
photo is a still from the film, representing Elizabeth
dressed as a soldier, ready to fight alongside her troops
at Tilbury.
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
On projettera l’affiche du film et on invitera les élèves à utiliser
la fiche de méthodologie n°8 (« Commenter une image », manuel
p. 330) pour la décrire dans un premier temps puis l’analyser.
A. Elizabeth is standing in the foreground, she is wearing
armour: she is dressed as a soldier and seems ready to fight and
determined to win. In the background, ships are sailing. They
probably represent / stand for the enemy. The catchphrase
reads: “Woman, Warrior, Queen” and shows that Elizabeth was
not only a queen but also a ruthless fighter and a courageous
ruler. The title of the film, “The Golden Age”, indicates that that
period of her reign was particularly bright and forged her
legend.
B. On laissera les élèves lire le Cultural fact quelques minutes
afin qu’ils puissent rendre compte de ce qu’ils ont compris
ensuite (sous la forme de Memory game également si on le
souhaite, en laissant un temps limité).
Spain was the most powerful country at the time, ruling over
the new world (South America) and western Europe. Philip II
was a Catholic, contrary to/unlike Elizabeth who was a Protestant.
He was offended by the assassination of Mary of Scots (Catholic)
by Elizabeth and decided to invade England in retaliation.
On the poster, we understand there is a confrontation of two
powerful empires: the British empire symbolised by Elizabeth
on the right and the Spanish empire represented by the ships
in the middle. Elizabeth looks absolutely determined to prevent
Spain from winning this battle.
4“ The heart and
stomach of a king”
43
Présentation du document
Le professeur pourra fournir aux élèves les informations sui-
vantes au moment qu’il jugera opportun :
Elizabeth’s speech at Tilbury:
This is the speech Queen Elizabeth gave at Tilbury on 19
August 1588. In the 1500s there was major rivalry on the
seas between the ships of Britain and Spain over control
of trade in the New World. King Philip II of Spain decided
to invade and conquer England to show his superiority.
Unit 4 63
22/09/2020 11:39
 Philip assembled a huge fleet known as the “Spanish
Armada” and sailed into the English Channel in 1588.
Elizabeth visited her troops in the field as they prepared
5 Step into the
Queen’s armour
43

for this battle. The speech she gave remains famous and
contributed to the legend of Elizabeth and the prestige
of England due to her command of words, her strength
as a woman and dedication towards her troops. The
defeat of the Spanish Armada is one of England’s great-
est military achievements.
On invitera les élèves à écouter l’extrait plusieurs fois afin d’être
capables d’en reproduire la prononciation et l’intonation. (Le
document audio est disponible sur le site compagnon élève.)
Dans le script ci-dessous, les mots accentués sont en gras, et
les pauses sont marquées par //.
script MP3 n°15

Remarque : Le portrait de l’Armada est consultable dans le

manuel, p. 66. “I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but
I have the heart and stomach of a king, // and a king of
England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or
script MP3 n°14
any prince of Europe, // should dare to invade the borders
of my realm; //to which rather than any dishonour shall
L’enregistrement correspond au texte du manuel p. 43.
grow by me, // I myself will take up arms,// I myself will
be your general,// judge, and rewarder of every one of
your virtues in the field. // We shall shortly have a famous
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions victory over these enemies of my God, of my kingdom,
On invitera les élèves à écouter l’enregistrement deux fois, en and of my people.”
prenant des notes afin de pouvoir rendre compte de ce qu’ils
ont compris avant de lire l’extrait et de répondre à la question.
Le MP3 étant disponible sur le site compagnon élève, on peut
leur demander de faire ce travail d’écoute à la maison.
44 3
A. She sounds determined to win and defend her kingdom and
her people, her intention is to encourage her soldiers and lead
the country to victory.

B. On repassera l’enregistrement pendant que les élèves lisent.

She represents herself as a strong-willed woman with the “heart
and stomach of a king”, she is confident, she has faith in her
troops and galvanises them to go to war and win this battle.
She is ready to sacrifice herself, to live and die among her sol-
diers, she is their general and their war chief who would do
anything to protect her kingdom/realm and subjects.

C. On invitera les élèves à travailler en binômes. Ils prendront

quelques minutes pour préparer ensemble leur réponse.
This speech is effective because the Queen addresses her peo-
ple directly. She starts with the expression “My loving people”
and also shows that she is devoted to them by the use of the
pronoun “my”.
She uses the pronoun “I” all along to show that she cares and
is involved in this battle, that she will fight as their equal, as their
war chief. Cette page invite les élèves à découvrir la raison pour laquelle
The repetitions enhance her affection for her people and her Élisabeth Ire ne s’est jamais mariée, ce qui permet de faire le
faith in their abilities. lien avec le titre de l’unité. Elle permettra aux élèves de com-
The use of the modal verb “will” attests to her determination prendre comment un choix personnel et fortement stratégique,
to win as well as the reward she promised them and probably a impacté toute une nation et marqué l’Histoire.
contributed to convincing her soldiers to defeat the Spanish

army.
D. On invitera les élèves à prendre la parole librement, on
pourra projeter l’extrait et mettre en avant les passages qui
permettent de répondre.
The nickname “Warrior Queen” is particularly relevant as she
presents herself as their general, she is the queen who “took
up arms” wore a suit of armour and was ready to “die among
them”. She addressed the soldiers as a king would have, pre-
senting herself as the queen who was about to wage war/go
to war alongside her army and “her loving people”. She spoke
to them as a man would have, using the word “tyran”, thus
presenting herself as a progressive leader and despising her
enemies at the same time. She embodies courage and faith.
1
44
The Virgin Queen
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
On proposera aux élèves de travailler en groupes de trois ou
quatre puis d’échanger les informations avec les autres groupes.
Le texte 1 pourra être réservé aux élèves plus fragiles en com-
préhension de l’écrit.
Ils peuvent également travailler en binômes (chaque élève tra-
vaillant ainsi sur un texte). Puis on procédera à une mise en
commun à l’oral, un élève volontaire notera au tableau les infor-
mations principales à retenir. On précisera aux élèves que cette

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 trace écrite permettra d’enrichir leur production orale pour la
tâche finale.
A. Group A (text 1): Elizabeth was devoted to her people. She
was an excellent orator and gave another speech at the end of
her reign that remained famous: the “Golden Speech”, in which
she stated that she was not interested in material things but in
her people. Contrary to her sister, who had left the kingdom in
chaos, her reign was characterised by stability and order as she
managed to overcome many obstacles / she succeeded in
defeating her enemies both abroad and at home. By being
unmarried, the power was hers, she did not need to share it.
Group B (text 2): At age eight, Elizabeth declared she would
never marry and kept true to her word. This decision contrib-
uted to her legend. Politically, it allowed the country to avoid
war by making her suitors wait. She had also suffered from her
parents’ situation which had led to her mother’s beheading and
was probably reluctant to get married. The other reason lies in
the fact that by getting married, she would have lost power,
as her husband would have been considered superior to her.
She told her lover, the Earl of Leicester that she had but one
mistress, that is to say: England, and no master. Therefore, she
remained her own master. She had to remain single in order to
be powerful.
B. Ce Go further permet d’aborder l’âge d’or élisabéthain, à
l’aide de la Worksheet n°09 .
On invitera les élèves à lire le texte puis à rendre compte des
éléments principaux à la classe. Pour en faire une activité plus
ludique, on pourra demander aux élèves de se mettre en
binômes et de se poser des questions mutuellement (activité 2
de la Worksheet).
The Elizabethan era was a period of political stability, artistic
creation and military strength which allowed the kingdom to be
prosperous. Concerning the arts, William Shakespeare was the
major artist of the time. The British Empire expanded with
explorers Walter Raleigh and Francis Drake and the first colony
was established in North America. The state of Virginia was
named after the Virgin Queen.
This period is referred to as the golden age because of its peace,
prosperity and expansion.
Worksheet disponible sur le site compagnon enseignant en
version PDF : http://113916.site.magnard.fr/ressources/1759
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_059-100.indd 65
Corrigés de la Worksheet n°09
Questions sur la Part 1 (posées par l’élève B à l’élève A):
a. How do historians refer to Elizabeth’s reign? Give two
expressions.
The Elizabethan Era and the Golden Age are two expressions
historians use to refer to Elizabeth’s reign.
b. What fields flourished at the time / were particularly
successful?
The arts/ art, political thought and military strength /power
are the fields which developed during her reign.
c. What major event illustrated the military power of the
country?
The defeat of the Spanish Armada is the greatest example
of the military strength of the empire.
Questions sur la Part 2 (posées par l’élève A à l’élève B):
a. What other events marked the Elizabethan Era? Give
two.
The British Empire expanded at the time thanks to explorers:
Francis Drake travelled around the Globe and Martin Frobisher
explored the Canadian Arctic.
b. What did Sir Walter Raleigh search for?
He searched for the « Lost City of Gold » in South America
(= El Dorado).
c. What shows that Queen Elizabeth had become a legend?
The state of Virginia was named after Elizabeth, known as
the Virgin Queen.
C. On invitera les élèves à réfléchir en groupes puis à faire un
retour à la classe. On leur proposera de structurer leur compte
rendu avec des mots de liaison (first, then, because, insofar as,
etc.) ainsi que les structures manage to V / succeed in V-ing.
Elizabeth can be considered a modern woman insofar as she
was independent and refused to follow the rules of her time
and more specifically the rules of men or men’s opinions. First,
she became queen against all odds, then, she managed to
remain single and keep the control of her realm because of her
determination to make her own choices. She also mastered the
art of language and representation and succeeded in being
close to her people, she had understood that a great ruler is
a monarch who has the trust and affection of his/her people.
She was modern because she believed women could rule and
be equal to men, she proved it and kept true to her beliefs.
your project 44
On invitera les élèves à utiliser le vocabulaire et les faits histo-
riques étudiés dans l’unité afin de préparer leur enregistrement
radio tout en travaillant la prononciation.
Ce projet pourra être préparé en classe pour un travail plus
guidé, en proposant aux élèves une répétition en chorale des
mots difficiles tels que heir /ˈeə/ à différencier de hair /heə/,
monarch, royal, warrior… Les élèves peuvent à cette fin utiliser
le lexique sonorisé de cette unité (Audio Words) qui est dispo-
nible au flash p. 45 du manuel ou sur le site compagnon.
Si vous disposez de peu de temps, il est possible de faire ce
travail en petits groupes. On proposera alors aux élèves de
construire la trame de l’émission radio ensemble, puis de s’en-
registrer chacun à leur tour à la maison.
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Critères
d’évaluation POC
L’élève respecte bien le
format de la présentation et
traite les trois aspects de la
vie d’Élisabeth demandés
(Queen, Woman, Warrior).
L’élève réinvestit les
connaissances acquises dans
l’unité.
La langue riche lexicalement
et syntaxiquement permet
les nuances.
La prononciation est correcte
et rythmée.
L’élève ne lit pas ses notes et
la présentation est fluide.
Voir aussi la grille d’évaluation critériée adossée au CECRL
(A1 → C1), p. 399 de ce Fichier.
Exercice 4
Non En cours
Acquis
acquis d’acquisition Elizabeth had a tough upbringing. Her father had her mother
beheaded when she was 2 years old. Then she was removed
from the line of succession. She also had her title downgraded
from ‘Princess’ to ‘Lady’. Today she is remembered as a cunning
and ruthless leader as any king who came before her. Her reign
is known as the Golden Age.
Exercice 5
A. Elizabeth had been Queen for ten years when she decided
she would never marry.
B. She persuaded her people they had been betrayed by the
foreign Prince.
C. Elizabeth executed Mary Queen of Scots because she had
been disloyal.
D. Alfred was a traitor. He had conspired against the Crown
for years.
Exercice 6 → Interactive Test

language lab 45

Autres ressources numériques pour les élèves

(QR code/site compagnon)

Exercice 1 Audio Words: Sonorisation des principaux termes de

l’unité :
A. bastard ; B. coronation ; C. reign ; D. heir

Exercice 2
A. The king would kill and massacre his enemies ruthlessly.
B. The courtiers would pay their respects every day.
C. The bishop would go to the Palace every day to see the king.
D. We would work hard every day to please our mistress.

Exercice 3
A. The suitors courted her wholeheartedly while she was keep-
ing them hoping.
B. We were plotting against the king when we realised we
would be executed if it came out.
C. He was thinking about the future Queen when it dawned
on him he could devise a cunning plot.
D. Ordinary folks were going through a difficult time when the
Queen gave her 1601 speech.
E. Elizabeth was contemplating marrying him when she real-
ised she preferred to concentrate on the future of her country.

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 Unit’s Vocabulary: fiche de lexique.

Cette fiche existe sur le site en PDF et en Word, si vous souhaitez

la personnaliser.

PHONOLOGY MP3 n°16

Verbes accentués Verbes accentués

sur la 1re syllabe sur la 2e syllabe

banish / sacrifice / galvanize reply / enquire / return /

conquer / vanquish imprison / decide

Quote
challenge 45

Le but de ce « Quote challenge » est de rebrasser le champ

lexical lexical étudié tout au long de cette unité et d’entraîner
les élèves à réagir à des citations. Les mots et expressions des
boîtes « Help! » pourront également être utilisés.

Production possible (citation 1) : Production possible (citation 2) :

– I think the first quote best sums up what I have learnt. It
means that contrary to what most men thought at the time,
she was strong, ruthless and determined, these were quali-
ties that were associated with men / Although she was a
woman, she was no weaker than a man.
– The rock metaphor enhances her power and will to succeed:
whatever the obstacles, she would not “bend”. In other
words, she would not break.
– Thanks to her temper, she showed the world of men that a
woman was not inferior to men but equally fit to rule an
empire.
– She proved her enemies wrong and became legend by hold-
ing steady and doing what no other monarch had done before
her.
– By remaining unmarried (contrary to her father) she was able
to rule as she saw fit and devoted her life to her country.
– By controlling her public image as well as her private life, she
succeeded in forging her long-lasting legend.
– I think the second quote best sums up what I have learnt.
This quote means that even though some people think she
was not wise enough to rule, she had a quality that most
other kings before her lacked or would lack in the future.
– Indeed, as a ruler, she was unique / one of a kind: she was
entirely devoted to her people whom she “loved better”
than any other monarch.
– This quote can be considered a declaration of love to her
subjects whom she never failed.
– This quote shows how modern her vision of the exercise of
power was: she had been crowned to serve her people, not
herself and dedicated her reign to bringing peace and pros-
perity to her subjects and her kingdom.
– We could add that she presented herself both as a powerful
ruler and mother figure who actually cared about her people.
– Her public (queen) and private (mother) image/life merged
to forge her legend.

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