Elizabeth

Anabusedchild,yetconfidentofherdestinytoreign,awomaninaman1sworld,passionatelysexualyet,shesaid,avirgin,famedasEngland'smostsuccessfulruleryetactuallydoingverylittle,ElizabethIisabundleofcontradictions.StartingwithElizabeth1sownspeechesandwritings,Starkeylaysnovelemphasisontwothings:herfaithmadeherseereligionasapurelypersonalrelationshipbetweentheindividualconscienceandGod,yethersophisticatededucationledhertoasmoke-and-mirrorsviewofpolitics,inwhichcleverimage-makingandspeech-writingcouldsolveorpostponerealproblems.Theresultwasasurprisinglycontemporaryapproachtosomeverymodernquestions,likecivilstrifeinScotlandandIrelandandtheriskofEngland1sabsorptionintoaEuropeansuper-state.ThisnewapproachtotheenigmaoftheQueen1scharacterispresentedwithinalivelyandreadableretellingofherreign;herloveforRobertDudley,thetragi-comedyofherfavouritesandsuitors,herepicstruggleswithMaryQueenofScotsandPhilipIIofSpain,andthefinal,humiliatingdebacleofherrelationshipwithRobertDevereux,EarlofEssex.