Elizabeth I: Always Her Own Free Woman

This interdisciplinary collection by historians, cultural critics and literary scholars examines the political, social, and cultural forces at work during the English Renaissance that contributed to creating a wealth of artistic, literary and historical impressions of Elizabeth, her court, and the period named after her, the Elizabethan age.Articles discuss Elizabeths' relationships, investigate the advice given her, explore connections between her court and the arts, and consider the role of Elizabeth's court in the political life of the nation. Some of the ways Elizabeth was understood and represented demonstrate society's fears and ambivalence about early modern women in power, while others celebrate her successes as England's first and only unmarried queen regnant.

Carole Levin is Professor of History at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, USA Jo Eldridge Carney is Assistant Professor of English at The College of New Jersey, USA Debra Barrett-Graves is Assistant Professor, Department of English, California State University, USA Ilona Bell, Williams College, USA Michael G. Brennan, University of Leeds, UK Mary Hill Cole, Mary Baldwin College, USA Margaret P. Hannay, Siena College, Italy Noel G. Kinnamon, Mars Hill College, USA Sarah Mendelson, McMaster University, USA Janel Mueller, University of Chicago, USA Michele Osherow, University of Maryland, USA Craig M. Rustici, Hofstra University, USA Linda Schenk, St Olaf College, USA Brandie R. Siegfried, Brigham Young University, USA Jacqueline Vanhoutte, University of North Texas, USA Matthew Woodcock, University College, Cork, Ireland