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Question
#38013. joey_T2003
asks:
Why was Elizabeth called the 'virgin queen'?
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jackolant
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Whether Elizabeth I was really a virgin or not, the word virgin used to mean the same as a maiden, i.e. an unmarried woman.
Aug 26 03, 4:59 PM
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Brainyblonde
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Living in a conservative society, in which both tradition and religion proclaimed the natural inferiority of women, Elizabeth used her sex to advantage by creating a personal myth that raised her above the ordinary.
Elizabeth found more advantages in remaining single. She could avoid the loss of authority to her husband and the dangers of childbirth, while using her eligibility for political gain. Like Cleopatra, Elizabeth was a strong ruler who was willing to use her sex to advantage--only in Elizabeth's case it was by remaining a virgin.
Her virginity set her apart as an extraordinary woman, allowing propaganda to raise her to the level of a virgin goddess. Although Elizabeth's tactics -- what today we might call her propaganda machine -- seduced her courtiers, subjects and even historians, she was not infallible. Representations of Elizabeth portray her as an almost divine monarch; however, especially in the early stages of her reign, she walked a very fine line. For example, she was courted by many men who hoped to father the next heir to the English throne. People began to speculate to the extent that betting pools were run on who the next King would be. Eventually, the line of candidates for the position of Elizabeth's husband became so long it caused a royal scandal which threatened the political stability of England. It is likely that at this time Elizabeth consciously decided to remain single and adopt the persona of the virgin queen, both to save appearances and for future political maneuvering.
 http://web.uvic.ca/shakespeare/Library/SLTnoframes/history/virgin.html
Aug 26 03, 7:52 PM
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