20 pages • 40 minutes read
Elizabeth ISpeech to the Troops at Tilbury
Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1588A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Framing Gender
The way Elizabeth addresses her gender in this speech is one of its most important aspects. Although she is a rare woman in a position of power, she never argues that women are equal to men. Instead, her argument is that despite being a woman, she still has royal blood; she is her father’s daughter, and her bloodlines are what allow her to reign. She does this by contrasting her female body, admitting (as her contemporaries would agree) that it is “weak and feeble” (Paragraph 4), with her masculine and royal interior, which she says contains both the care and mettle to rule effectively.
Though the above remark is Elizabeth’s only explicit mention of her sex, gendered imagery pervades the following lines. Having drawn attention to her womanhood, Elizabeth’s remark about a “prince of Europe […] dar[ing] to invade the borders of [her] realm” hints at sexual assault (Paragraph 4). Her determination to avoid “dishonour” underscores the connotation, as Elizabeth’s society viewed the loss of virginity out of wedlock—even by rape—as a permanent stain on a woman’s character. By invoking her vulnerability to rape, Elizabeth balances her earlier claims to masculinity; she is masculine enough to rule (even in wartime) but not so masculine as to destabilize gender norms.
At the time of Elizabeth’s speech, there was increasing criticism of women rulers. In fact, this was a time of suspicion of female authority in general, with an increase in people (primarily women) being accused of witchcraft and executed for the crime. This fear and anxiety reflected increasing uncertainty about women’s changing roles, and Elizabeth had to carefully navigate these concerns to maintain her claim as legitimate queen of England.
Courage Among Leaders and Followers
At a time when monarchs still personally led troops into combat, courage was a paramount quality in a ruler. Though Elizabeth would not take part in the actual fighting, giving the speech at Tilbury allowed her to be seen in her role as protector of England. Elizabeth knew the power of political theater, reportedly appearing on a white horse, wearing a metal breastplate and plumed helmet, and holding a large ivory staff. She carefully constructed this image of a dramatic soldier-queen to persuade her subjects of her royalty and courage.
Elizabeth’s first lines state that though some people have warned her not to come to Tilbury because of threats to her life, she deems it more important to be physically among her people to support them and help battle Spain. She downplays threats to her life and safety, and compares her role to that of the soldiers risking their lives for their country. Elizabeth’s courage thus becomes another point of connection between her and her troops, whose “valour” she likewise praises.
This relates to another point: Elizabeth’s claim that only “tyrants” ought to “fear” being among their subjects. Although the 16th-century English monarchy was not as limited in power as it would later become, the country had a tradition of checking royal power that dated back to the Magna Carta of 1215. Because of the hierarchical and centralized nature of the Catholic Church, the English Reformation lent further credence to claims that England was more egalitarian (or at least less despotic) than many European monarchies. Elizabeth’s claim also hearkens back to the Wars of the Roses, a series of 15th-century wars over royal succession. Since Elizabeth’s family would eventually emerge victorious from these conflicts (and cast itself as saving the country from the cruel reign of Richard III), her words have deep historical resonance. In distinguishing herself from cowardly “tyrants,” Elizabeth uses the idea of courage to amplify political distinctions both within England and between England and its foreign adversaries.
Loving Ruler/Subjects
Elizabeth repeatedly refers to her subjects in affectionate ways, referring to them as “[her] loving people” (Paragraph 1), as well as “faithful and loving people” (Paragraph 2). She also emphasizes her own love, care, and affection for her subjects, their health, and their well-being. She says her compassion springs from her being a fair leader: “Let tyrants fear [treachery]!” (Paragraph 3), she says, implying that because she is no tyrant, she has nothing to fear from her subjects. The reality was that this was an incredibly dangerous time for Elizabeth, with dueling groups wanting her gone. Nevertheless, she emphasizes her affection for all her subjects by appearing in person.
Of course, political self-depiction is a performative act. By constantly framing her relationship with her subjects in loving terms, Elizabeth not only seeks to generate goodwill but also gestures toward several hierarchical relationships that ground her claims to legitimacy and authority—for example, the relationship between husband and wife. This depiction would evolve later in her reign when she would depict herself as being married to England or as the “Virgin Queen”—a way to divert attention from her lack of direct heirs. Her all-loving, benevolent tone also recalls the Christian understanding of God vis-à-vis humanity—a role she especially invokes when she promises to “be [the troops’] general, judge, and rewarder of every one of [their] virtues” (Paragraph 4).
