Interpretations Question
1. How convincing is the following interpretation about the Earl of Essex?
Explain your answer with reference to your own contextual knowledge
and what it says in Interpretation A. [8 Marks]
This interpretation is highly convincing because it accurately describes his character
and his attributes. Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex, is described in the
interpretation as being “arrogant and restless”, which is accurate as he inherited the
title of Earl when he was ten years old since his mother married the Earl of Leicester
after his father’s death, meaning he grew up having an extremely privileged
childhood and was uncontrolled and extravagant, which is also mentioned in the
interpretation when he is described as “vain and jealous”.
Essex and his relations with Elizabeth are also depicted in the interpretation making
it convincing. In the interpretation, he is described as being “tall, handsome and
generous” and being given “titles and a monopoly” by Elizabeth, which is accurate as
he was established as Elizabeth’s favourite courtier and was made Master of the
Horse in 1587 and given the monopoly over sweet wines. Not only that, but in 1595,
he was sent to command the forces sent to assist Henry of Navarre, and shortly after
his return, he was appointed a Privy Counsellor, meaning he was part of Elizabeth’s
inner circle, and then was appointed Master of the Ordinance and Earl Marshal in
1598 after defeating the Spanish navy at Cadiz.
The interpretation mentions his failure in Ireland, which he blamed on “enemies in
Court”, who were the Cecil’s, and his ignorance of Elizabeth’s orders. In 1599, after
being in Ireland, where instead of marching against Tyrone like he was ordered to,
he negotiated a truce and returned to London, where he burst into the Queen’s
bedchamber, he was placed under house arrest and dismissed from all his offices,
showing his impulsive behaviour towards Elizabeth as described in the interpretation.
The interpretation further mentions how he “plotted to seize the Queen and take
control of the government”, which is accurate because in 1961, Essex led an uprising
to capture Elizabeth and force her to restore himself and his followers to their rightful
offices, which was stopped and Essex was arrested, tried, and executed on 25th
February of the same year. This shows that the interpretation is convincing as it
accurately describes how Essex fell out of the Queen’s favoru and soon became a
threat to her government.
2. Explain what was important about the problem of poverty in Elizabethan
England [8 Marks]
The issue of poverty was important because of the growing number of poor people,
which worried others that they would resort to crime rather than just begging, which
threatened the stability of Elizabeth’s rule. Throughout Elizabethan England, there
were concerns about the ‘idle poor’, who were seen as dishonest, immoral,
‘vagabonds’ and members of the criminal class. People thought that they were
getting out of control, causing many to be attacked on the streets. Beggars often
turned to crime in this period due to poverty and robbed people in the streets and
broke into their houses, which made the government think that beggars were a
serious threat to their authority. Moreover, before the 1530s, the monasteries of
England had been a key source for charity, as they helped the poor in times of need
by providing food, shelter, and medical aid. However, they were dissolved in the
1530s by King Henry VIII, which meant that without them, people who lived in
Elizabethan England travelled to towns to look for a better life, which made poverty
more visible to the public.
The problem of poverty was also important as it resulted in the creation of the Poor
Law, which was initially passed in 1597, but amended in 1601, and meant that the
‘undeserving poor’ were publicly whipped and forced to return to their own parish,
while the repeated offenders were sent to prison or put to work in a ‘House of
Correction’. The Poor Laws were an important part of the problem of poverty
because it meant that everyone had to pay a local poor rate, and the money would
pay for parish officials, setting up of workhouses, and the payment of relief to the
‘deserving poor’, overseen by a government official called the ‘Overseer of the Poor’.
3. Write an account of the ways in which the voyages of discovery affected
Elizabethan England [8 Marks]
The voyages of discovery affected Elizabethan England because Francis Drake’s
circumnavigation of the world and Sir John Hawkins’ establishment of a triangular
transatlantic trade emphasized England’s power at the time and the establishment of
colonies across the world expanded England’s empire. Hawkins and Drake
undertook three voyages together, and on the first one in 1562 to 1563, Hawkins
reported that he captured at least 300 African slaves in Sierra Leone through a
campaign of destruction and violence. This voyage affected Elizabethan England
because it proved that it was possible to re-establish English triangular trade with a
new commodity, African slaves, in a new Caribbean destination.
They also allowed English naval power to develop, such as in 1572, Drake captured
£40,000 worth of Spanish silver when he attacked Spanish treasure ships travelling
from Mexico and Peru. Drake then set sail in 1577, after returning three years later,
he had circumnavigated the globe, and was the first Englishman to do so. He
returned with £400,000 worth of treasure captured from the Spanish, of which
Elizabeth received half of. The voyages of discovery were essential in the defeat of
the Spanish Armada in 1588, while the discovery of new goods and the acquisition of
colonies established for most Elizabethans that they were living in a ‘Golden Age’
and united the country under Elizabeth’s rule.
