Throughout the ages one particular cultural topic has occupied the minds of scholars, authors and politicians, the question of a woman’s position in society. Up until the 20th century, when feminist activists finally reached achievements with their actions, the most important being the female right to vote, which was granted to women in Great Britain in 1918 only, the woman’s inferior position to the man was seen as a given. Many works, fictional as well as academic and advisory were written throughout the ages that deal with the relations between men and women, not only by female authors, but also by male. Rooting in the basic dogmata of patriarchal society, the oppression of the “weaker” sex and the regard of women as the “weaker vessel” was justified with the Bible, anatomical facts and biological beliefs. Usually a woman was expected to be subject to her husband, father or other male superior, her job was to stay at home and take care of children and household.
Great Britain was no exception to this rule. Nonetheless it is a curious fact that the great country has existed many years under a female monarch, and this not only once. Two of the world’s most popular monarchs, who both reigned over 40 years, were the British queens Elizabeth I and Victoria. The first ruled over the country in the sixteenth, the second in the nineteenth century, but both were cause for many debates and gossip in English society of their respecting times. Each of the two women was an extraordinary woman and an important monarch, who achieved a lot for her country, and yet in their being women, both royals were typical for the women of their time. Despite their many similarities, Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria could not have been more different, since they lived and ruled in different times and regarded their roles as women and rulers differently. This paper will deal with exactly these problems. I will look at the problem of women’s role in Elizabethan and in Victorian society, regarding their position according to their social, financial and marital status. Furthermore the paper will inspect the idea of the ideal woman and her position next to the man. At last I will assay the phenomena of the female ruler and analyse the figures of Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria and explore their situation as women on the throne.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Women under Queen Elizabeth I – Ideal vs. reality
2.1 The Queen herself
2.2 Elizabeth’s marriage conflict
3. Women under Queen Victoria
3.1 A domestic angel – The Victorian ideal
3.2 Queen Victoria – a woman of her time
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This paper examines the role of women in Elizabethan and Victorian society, focusing on their social, financial, and marital status in relation to the prevailing patriarchal structures and the influence of their respective female monarchs. It explores the dichotomy between the "ideal woman" of each period and the reality of women's lives under these queens.
- Comparative analysis of female status in the Elizabethan and Victorian eras.
- The societal construction of the "ideal woman" (e.g., the "weaker vessel" vs. the "domestic angel").
- The political and personal lives of Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria as female rulers.
- The influence of patriarchal religious and social dogmata on women's lives.
- The agency of women and the emergence of early feminist discourse in literature and law.
Excerpt from the Book
2. Women under Queen Elizabeth I – Ideal vs. reality
The sixteenth century is often called the Elizabethan era, after the monarch that ruled for 45 years (1558-1603). It is often called the Golden Age, which it certainly was, but not for it’s women. Although it is a time of glorious cultural and political achievements, like the defeat of the Spanish Armada 1588, or the famous works of poets like William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe, most of those achievements are credited to the men of that time. The women mostly blend into the background as their wives, sisters, mothers and daughters.
Elizabethan women were regarded as subservient to men, weak, feeble and dependant on their male relatives. They were less educated than the men were, and expected to take care of the household and children and not engage in any “male” domains such as politics. Despite a woman’s desirability, chastity was her greatest asset, since it was the only thing she owned herself. Only men had the right to own property and a woman’s worth was her worth on the marriage market, which was determined, besides her social position, by the degree of chaste behaviour.
Many argue that the age of Renaissance was an age of humanism. Science, freedom and dignity of the people were highly discussed topics. However all these humanist ideals only applied to male members of society. Such a thing as a woman’s right to express herself was not even considered, but although the vast majority of writers were men, they still engaged in discussions on the place of women. Many tractates and advisory books were written on the proper behaviour and appearance of women, for example the famous Homilie on the state of Matrimonie which was an essential part in the Book of Common Prayer, which was widely used by the Anglican Church.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the research focus on women's social positions during the Elizabethan and Victorian eras and outlines the comparative approach regarding the two female monarchs.
2. Women under Queen Elizabeth I – Ideal vs. reality: Analyzes the patriarchal oppression of women in the 16th century, contrasting the "ideal" of the submissive, chaste woman with the reality of their social confinement.
2.1 The Queen herself: Examines how Elizabeth I maintained her power by balancing patriarchal expectations with her own political branding, including the creation of the "Virgin Queen" persona.
2.2 Elizabeth’s marriage conflict: Investigates the political and psychological reasons behind Elizabeth I’s decision to remain unmarried, effectively rejecting the traditional "natural" subordination of women to husbands.
3. Women under Queen Victoria: Discusses the shifting social landscape of the 19th century, noting the emergence of industrialization and early feminist activism despite continued systemic gender inequality.
3.1 A domestic angel – The Victorian ideal: Explores the 19th-century construction of women as "angels" in the house, defined by moral purity and absolute dependency on male authority.
3.2 Queen Victoria – a woman of her time: Discusses how Victoria’s popularity stemmed from her ability to embody the "typical" woman of her era, contrasting her reign with that of Elizabeth I.
4. Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, concluding that despite the long reigns of two powerful queens, neither significantly altered the fundamental inferior position of women in society.
Keywords
Elizabethan era, Victorian era, Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria, patriarchy, gender roles, women's history, feminine ideal, marriage, social status, Virgin Queen, domestic angel, sexual desire, feminist discourse, subordination.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this academic paper?
The paper explores the comparative status of women in Elizabethan and Victorian society, focusing on how patriarchal structures and the presence of female monarchs shaped the experiences of women during these two eras.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The core themes include the social, financial, and marital status of women, the cultural construction of the "ideal woman," the limitations of female education and rights, and the contrast between reality and societal expectations.
What is the primary research goal or question?
The goal is to analyze whether the long reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria improved the status of women in their respective societies or if they merely upheld existing patriarchal norms.
Which scientific methods are utilized in this study?
The paper employs a comparative literary and historical analysis, examining contemporary advisory texts, dramatic literature (e.g., Shakespeare), and historical scholarship to evaluate the social standing of women.
What topics are covered in the main body of the paper?
The body covers the societal ideals of the 16th and 19th centuries, the political strategies of the two queens regarding marriage and their public images, and the influence of early feminist writers and movements.
Which keywords best characterize this academic work?
Key terms include Elizabethan and Victorian eras, patriarchal oppression, female agency, the "Virgin Queen," the "domestic angel," and the evolution of gender roles in England.
How did the "ideal woman" differ between the Elizabethan and Victorian periods?
Elizabethans largely viewed women as untrustworthy beings driven by sexual desire requiring strict male control, whereas the Victorians projected qualities of "angelic" purity and morality onto women to justify their confinement to the home.
Why did Queen Elizabeth I refuse to marry?
The text suggests a mix of political pragmatism—to maintain her status as an absolute, independent sovereign—and potentially psychological factors related to traumatic childhood experiences with marriage and death.
What was Queen Victoria's attitude toward feminist movements?
Contrary to the expectations of progress, Victoria was personally against the feminist movements that began emerging during her reign and preferred to embody the role of a traditional wife and mother.
Did the reign of two powerful queens fundamentally change the status of English women?
The author concludes that neither queen actively worked to alter the inferior status of women; instead, both monarchs upheld traditional gender roles, and significant changes in women's rights were more closely tied to industrialization than to the reigns of the queens themselves.
- Citation du texte
- Natalia Gubergritz (Auteur), 2009, English women through the ages. A comparative study of the feminine during the Elizabethan and Victorian eras, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/412994
