Women in Power

1. Write and submit your post below. Answer ONE of the following questions:

In her “Speech to the Troops at Tilbury,” Elizabeth claims to “have the body…of a weak and feeble woman; but…the heart and stomach of a king” (763). Why does she make this distinction? What does this claim mean for her listeners? In other words, how does her claim work to stir the hearts of her listeners?
What does Elizabeth mean when she says, I will [risk] my royal blood; I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of your virtue in the field (763). Why does she seem at first to tell the troops that she will fight alongside them when she is not doing so? (Later in the speech she states that her trusted general, The Earl of Leicester, will lead them). Explain for your readers what Elizabeth means here, and why she makes this statement.

QUESTION 2: spenser’s sonnets

1. Write and submit your post below. Answer ONE of the following questions:

In Sonnet 34, Spenser compares his lost love to a ship tossed at sea. What is the other main metaphor in the poem? Tell us what the metaphor is, and why this comparison fits in with the theme of the piece overall.
In Sonnet 75, Spenser’s protagonist disagrees with this lover when she tells him that he is vayne to think that he can immortalize her by writing her name in the sand. Why does he disagree with her? What evidence does he use to support his claim? Lastly, why does Spenser propose this question to his readers? What does he want them to believe about literature?