Elizabeth I

3 ch (3C) (W) · Undergraduate

This upper level course focuses on the major themes in the life of Queen Elizabeth I, one of the most famous and mythological women in history. We will attempt to sort through the legacy of her father, Henry VIII, and ascertain the reasons for the fall of her mother, Anne Boleyn. We explore her turbulent relationship with her sister, Mary, which resulted in Elizabeth's stay in the Tower of London as a suspected traitor. From there we will examine some of the predominent themes in her reign: finding and preserving a religious settlment for the Church of England, her gender as both a "plus and a minus", the Elizabeth court, her relationship with Mary, Queen of Scotts, her fashioning of her image and how her reputation has been perceived subsequently.