Genre 5: Good Queen Bess

Good Queen Bess by Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema, illustrated by Diane Stanley
Four Winds Press, 1990
ISBN 0-02-786810-9

Summary:
Stanley and Vennema give a brief factual account of the life and reign of Elizabeth I, queen of England from 1558 to 1603.

Critical Analysis:
Although the beautifully illustrated biography of Elizabeth I is brief, the authors discuss the queen's talents, tricks, and influences in addition to the expected milestones, even if some of her more interesting exploits are left out. Elizabeth is portrayed as a person with hopes, disappointments, love, faith, enemies, and intelligence.
One of Elizabeth's failures is discussed throughout the biography: her lack of heirs. The authors include discussion about Elizabeth's reasons to avoid marriage and how expectations of marriage influenced her rule. Stanley relates that Philip II of Spain offered to "relieve her of those labors which are only fit for men," presumably ruling her country. The other topic discussed throughout the biography is the influence of religion on Elizabeth, her enemies, and other European rulers. Clearly, marriage (or lack thereof) and religion were tremendous pressures during her entire rule.
The events and achievements in the biography show Elizabeth to be a resourceful pioneer; few men ruled as successfully as she did in a time when women were considered weak and inferior.
The overarching statement in the biography was not made by the authors, however, but by the queen herself: "Though you have had--and may have--many mightier and wiser princes sitting in this seat, yet you never had--nor shall have--any that will love you better." This love for her people is clearly why she is remembered as "Good Queen Bess."

Review Excerpts:
"This biography of Queen Elizabeth I does an excellent job of describing the context of her life so that reasons for many of her actions become clear. The resulting depth is a pleasant surprise and will give the book a wide audience. . . . {The text} informs on many aspects of Elizabeth's life: her childhood, how she became queen, what the political climates were that shaped her strategies and decision making, and who the key players were in her life."

Denise Wilms, BookList, September 1 1990, v. 87

"The book accurately describes the history, costume and culture of the Elizabethan era. Sadly, however, it does little to capture the spirit of this extraordinary queen. . . . This book devotes little space to her childhood. . . . The majority of the tale, devoted to Elizabeth's reign, . . . {is} a well-researched story of her magnificent statecraft, but the grandeur never materializes. Perhaps the book's most disturbing failure is also its most striking feature: the numerous and elaborate illustrations, all based on contemporary court portraits and engravings. . . . {Ms. Stanley} carefully conveys the pageantry of royal life without reflecting any of its liveliness."

Marianne Partridge, The New York Times Book Review, March 17 1991

Connections:

• Read biographies of other rulers from that time period. What are some similar problems they faced? How do their successes match with those of Elizabeth?
• Research the fashions, music, architecture, and art of the period.
• Create a family tree for Elizabeth showing her relationship to Mary and Jane Grey.
• Read excerpts from Shakespeare's plays. What attitudes toward women are apparent in his writing? What attitudes about religion?