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Elizabeth I's Temper: A Calculated Act?
25 Jul
Summary
- Elizabeth I's temper may have been exaggerated by her male secretaries.
- Secretaries added emotional outbursts to letters for rhetorical effect.
- The queen cleverly used emotion for diplomatic and political goals.
A recent study proposes that Queen Elizabeth I's reputed fiery temper was, in part, a creation of her secretaries. These male scribes are said to have strategically added emotional language to her correspondence for rhetorical impact. This interpretation challenges the historical depiction of the monarch as irrational and excessively emotional.
Elizabeth I, who reigned from 1558 to 1603, left behind over 3,000 letters. While historians previously focused on those in her own hand, this study examined letters written by her secretaries. Evidence suggests figures like Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth's spymaster, edited letters to portray her as angry, particularly concerning Mary, Queen of Scots.
This crafted anger was intended to influence negotiations, demonstrating that Elizabeth, far from being overly emotional, cleverly used emotional displays for specific diplomatic and political objectives. This was achieved through collaboration with her secretaries, highlighting a calculated deployment of royal emotions. Such a strategy was likely employed given the era's prevailing views on female leadership and emotion.
