Matthew Artusa Ms. Weinstein English 12R Pd.

The Evolution of Monarchies Through Time and Shakespeare s Literature

The Elizabethan Era (1485-1603) was a significant time period in England s political history. Named after the Queen Elizabeth I, who held complete sovereignty in the English monarchy, the Elizabethan Era is known as Golden Age in England. It is during this era when William Shakespeare began his journey to becoming an aspiring, soon to be world-known and well respected and appreciated, play writer. Throughout Macbeth, William Shakespeare demonstrates the influence of the Elizabethan Era on his work. As time goes by, the age of monarchies evolves into democracy. Analyzing these changes of monarchial institution throughout the 19th Century and present day Britain, we can see how today s democracy developed, and how the ways and beliefs of the Elizabethan Era significantly swayed Shakespeare through the writing of his literary works. The Elizabethan Era of the 16th Century (1485-1603) began with the reign of the Tudor family from 1485-1558. During this time the Protestant Revolution began. Parliament began to gain power and control of government starting in the 14th century with the gain of control over the King s revenues. During the ongoing religious reformations in England, Queen Elizabeth I rose to the throne upon death of her half sister, Queen Mary I. The Queen ran a constitutional monarchy (limited monarchy); in which the monarch s power is limited and shared with other parts of government, known as the English Parliament at the time. Queen Elizabeth had to consent or dissent any decisions made by Parliament. Elizabeth s reign was highly centralized, where she held complete supremacy over her directly appointed Privy Council ( Monarchy; The Royal Family at Work ). The Act of Supremacy in 1558 granted Queen Elizabeth the title of Head of State and Supreme Governor of the

Church of England ( Monarchy; The Royal Family at Work ). In 1559, Queen Elizabeth summoned Parliament to consider a Reformation Bill, and to create an independent Church of England. Queen Elizabeth reestablished the Protestant Anglican Church, and with the Act of Uniformity of 1558, enforced the practice of religion very strictly, forcing all citizens to attend church every Sunday, and punishing those who attended Catholic services. Elizabeth s religious settlement is known as a point of English Reformation. England became the leading naval and commercial power of the Western world with the triumph of the Spanish Armada in 1588 ( Elizabethan Age ). Queen Elizabeth was successful in maintaining, even increasing the prosperity of the country s ongoing trade policies. The period of her reign became a period of increasing wealth (Elizabethan Politics and Government). The Elizabethan Era was a time of Enlightenment; with the emergence of evolution in the arts and Europe s first theatres for entertainment, the rational thinking and inventions of the early period of Enlightenment, as well as England s great achievements in warfare and world-known naval and commercial strength. The Elizabethan Era is also known as the Age of Shakespeare. The emergence of a powerful new leader parallels the emergence of a prominent successful playwright. It was in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth s rule in which William Shakespeare set off to London, the center of culture, to become an aspiring playwright ( Elizabethan Age ). Shakespeare s Macbeth is the Mona Lisa of the Elizabethan Era. In fact, the first theatrical performance of Shakespeare s Hamlet was in 1601, towards the end of the Elizabethan Era. Shakespeare interacted with the Queen through means of court and

performance. Shakespeare s works greatly intertwined with the introduction of theatre as a form of entertainment in Western culture. A focus of the Elizabethan Era was a deep fascination with the arts. The events, environment and personalities of this period were a great influence on the characters and world of William Shakespeare s Macbeth. Macbeth is a political play, filled with issues of kingship, centralized monarchy, and violence. Influence of the Elizabethan monarch is evident through the characters in Macbeth, specifically his wife, Lady Macbeth. Shakespeare dismisses the typical subservient female and introduces a powerful, authoritative, intelligent woman. Your face, my thane, is as a book where men/ May read strange matters. To beguile the time,/ Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye,/ Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower,/ But be the serpent under't. He that's coming/ Must be provided for: and you shall put/ This night's great business into my dispatch (Shakespeare, Act I,

Scene 5). Lady Macbeth shows her assertiveness and her empowerment over her husband, Macbeth. She is a new face to those common amongst females, much like Queen Elizabeth, who reigned over England at its prime. Macbeth holds the persona of "that of a man who is not eminently good and just, yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity but by some error or frailty" (Daniel 739). Lady Macbeth holds the ability to wield Macbeth to her purposes and goals. Macbeth, upon Lady Macbeths persuasion through manipulation and down talking his masculinity, pursued killing King Duncan. Macbeths downfall was his paranoia and greed. Lady Macbeths authority over Macbeth suggests the larger matter of female involvement in the political arrangement and a womans possible dominion as monarch over man as

subject. According to Leonard Tennenhouse, based off of the full generation of successful female rule, the Elizabethan Era can also be referred to as the age which thought of state power as female. As opposed to the Elizabethan Era, in which British monarchy was politically powerful, the monarchy lost much of its power during the 1800 s. Britain fell as a political power as it rose to become the greatest industrial power of Europe. 19th Century Britain transformed by means of the Industrial Revolution. This led to the appearance of powerful new classes in the British social hierarchy. Britain controlled more then half of the world s total shipping, and was supported by some of the world s strongest banks. In the beginning of the 19th century, a group of Evangelical Christians, called the Clapham Sect, was active in politics. They contested for an end to slavery and cruel sports. These are characteristics of similarity between Elizabethan and 19th century England, as well as brutal reprimands for convicted criminals and the ongoing and increasing participation in trade. A common sentencing for a crime was to be hung. In 1822 a Tory government was formed. In 1825-1828 the death penalty was abolished for a number of crimes. The first modern police force of London came fourth in 1829. Queen Victoria reigned from 18371901, and was over powered by the significant Parliament, which was gaining political control ( British Government Since the 1800 s ). The monarchy was dying to newborn democracy. The power of the monarch in modern day Britain is symbolized and can be demonstrated by the statement, the Queen reigns, but she does not rule ( Monarchy; The Royal Family at Work ). Until the end of the 17th century, British

monarchs were the ultimate central political power of their country. Today, as a constitutional monarch, the Queen has an important role in government, however does not have any political power. This occurred through laws enacted by Parliament and the evolution of political practices and customs. The Queen can no longer make or pass legislation, and must maintain political neutrality. The Queen will act upon the words and advice of her elected ministers and political constituents. Although government plans are delivered to the nation by the Queen, they are all formally written by British government and approved by the Cabinet, as opposed to the Elizabethan Era, in which Queen Elizabeth would plan and enact laws of her choosing, as long as they were approved by Parliament. Compared to today, the everyday life during the Elizabethan Period was brutal. Consequences for severe crimes could be torture as well as public humiliation ( Elizabethan Politics and Government ). Although Parliament still gets authority from the Queen, the elected government is now in charge. Overall, today s England s political institution is a compromise that allows the elected government to rule as the monarch sits on the throne. The Elizabethan Era, also known as the Age of Shakespeare, is a significant period, influentially, to the production of William Shakespeare s literary works. Macbeth portrays a parallel image of Lady Macbeth to the strong, powerful Queen Elizabeth I. Throughout history, the English monarchy has reformed and evolved. From the supremacy of the monarchy in the Elizabethan Era to the less powerful monarchy of the 19th century all politically historical events led up to England s

current compromised democratic government. The age of monarchs has seized the throne to democracy.

Bibliography Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. New York: the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington Square Press, 1992

Daniel, Kathleen, ed. The Elements of Literature: Fourth Course. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1997.

Tennenhouse, Leonard. Power on Display: The Politics of Shakespeares Genres. New York: Methuen, 1986

Reid, Matt. Monarchy; The Royal Family at Work. RDF Media. Film (Online). Internet. http://www.pbs.org/opb/monarchy/educators.html

Thrasher, Thomas. Understanding Macbeth. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, 2002 Elizabethan Age. Online. Internet. http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-age.htm

Shakespeare Resource Center. J.M. Pressley. Online. Internet. December 3, 2011. http://www.bardweb.net/england.html

Elizabethan Politics and Government. Online. Internet http://www.elizabethanenglandlife.com/elizabethan-politics-and-government.html

British Government Since the 1800s. Online. Internet. 1998-2011. http://www.sciaga.pl/tekst/4013-5-british_government_since_the_1800s