This was a very interesting essay to read. The author first explained Elizabeth's real history, and then compared it to how it is shown in the media, both of her time and today.
It is interesting that the author points out how Elizabeth is never portrayed as both a great queen and an emotional person with a love life. She is always depicted as one or the other. The authors of her day, the ones who wrote about her either in her life-time or just after she died, showed her as the great queen. Since the advent of film, directors have chosen Elizabeth as a great character for love stories. In these movies, she is shown as weak and blinded by love.
The one that is perhaps the most ridiculous, is the 1953 Young Bess movie. This one is probably the most historically incorrect. It tells of a time in history when Elizabeth is 13 years old. The movie shows her as a young adult instead, in love with her stepmothers husband.
It is pretty ridiculous how Hollywood twists history to make their good story. But this essay doesn't cover a book like The Virgin's Lover, which did exactly the same thing. Gregory goes far enough to describe the sex scenes between Elizabeth and Sir Robert, when we do not know if that ever actually happened.
In our day and age, stories and love and sex are what sell. It's a good thing Elizabeth isn't alive today to see it, because I don't think she would approve of this image of her!
Hey Aleks,
ReplyDeleteI agree. That essay was very interesting to read. It is so true that no one seems to be able to show Elizabeth as a strong Queen who also has human emotions (love, fear, joy). I think this is because of time. I mean, right after Elizabeth died; no one wanted to portray her as some unworthy woman who just happened to be Queen of England. She did so many great things in her Reign that the people wanted her to be remembered for that, not so much her personal life. However, today we aren't into how she became a successful as Queen. People today want to see passion, love, and sex. Like you said, that is what sells. Most people are not going to go pay to see a movie that goes step by step over Elizabeth's life as Queen. Back in the 1600's people probably loved it. It is all really about the people you are trying to sell products too. Things begin to twist and turn (truth wise) IF people will buy it.
As for The Virgin's Lover, I think the reason that wasn't talked about it because Gregory says that the novel is only relatively based on facts. At the end of the book there is a section where she got ideas for her book from actual information. She is not trying to mislead anyone by saying that that was how Elizabeth truly acted. She just decided to make her novel in the time of Elizabeth's life and about her actual love life. At least, that is how I saw it. I could be wrong though...
Good points though!
Thanks,
Sarah C