Analysis: Elizabeth I Letters - Essay Example

They also reflect upon the intrigues that surrounded the mystery of succession to the throne of England, which partly built itself upon the legend of the virgin queen, which is referred to by many writers including Edmund Spenser in The Faerie Queene (Spenser, 2006). Queen Elizabeth’s letter to Mary, the Queen of Scots reveals the anxiety that she felt regarding the position of Mary and her relation to the throne of England. It is to be noted, in this context, that Mary was eventually executed by Queen Elizabeth for attempting to assassinate her.

As a result of this, it was natural for her to feel anxious when a murder was carried out, apparently with her consent. It is this consent that the queen refers to when she reminds Mary of her doubts regarding Mary’s knowledge of the murderers and her apparent complicity in the crime. It was not just Mary that the queen was afraid of but also her supporters. Hence, her anxiety is evident in this letter, addressed to one who had just accomplished the successful murder of her own husband, with the help of her associates.

All of these events and the politics that surrounded them emerged from the fact that Queen Elizabeth was unmarried and hence, had no heirs to the throne. The question of succession was a problem that was a pertinent one for the Elizabethans, one that troubled them and created a lot of suitors for Elizabeth in her own court (Hibbert 71, 2010). Elizabeth’s decision to stay a spinster was motivated by political as well as personal reasons. She constantly stayed under the fear of having to abdicate the throne for another, who would snatch the throne from her, since there were extremely powerful men in her court.

It is in this context that one should read her letter to Mary, the Queen of the Scots. This letter reflects her anxiety regarding her position in her own court and her fears regarding the support that Mary had newly acquired, from her male associates, a support that Elizabeth always lacked, in the conventional sense, since it could be provided solely by a lawfully wedded husband. The lack of this social relation always rankled Elizabeth since it affected her position within her court where several men had turned themselves into suitors, the most prominent one being Sir Walter Raleigh.

The fact that she was unmarried also was an incentive for her cousins to harbor aspirations and hopes regarding the throne of England. Mary was one of these aspirants and the letter reveals Queen Elizabeth’s knowledge regarding her ambitions. It is this anxiety that is proved to be a justified state of mind when the Babington plot is discovered. This discovery prompts Queen Elizabeth to write a letter to Sir Amyas Paulet, whom she thought was a much more efficient gaoler than his predecessor, Sir Ralph Sadler, who was considered to be of a much less severe disposition and hence, less suited to the job.

Elizabeth’s appreciation of Amyas Paulet stems for her regard for her servant who had efficiently guarded her foe who had hatched a conspiracy to kill her along with her other associates (Froude, 576). The letter also reveals a sense of relief at having discovered the plot. Elizabeth also seems relieved at having finally been able to prosecute a dangerous foe of hers, whom she could finally try for treason and hence, execute. This was for her an opportunity to get an enemy out of her way and she credits her faithful followers and servants for having helped her accomplish this feat.