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AWEJ for Translation & Literary Studies, Volume 5, Number3. August 2021 Pp. 2-16
Department of Languages and Translation
Faculty of Science and Arts, Rafha
Northern Border University, Arar Saudi Arabia
The present study examines the rhetoric of inconsistency in the representation of Queen Elizabeth I through a reading of formal orations and poetic recitations written during her royal progresses. These literary resources, which were deliberately designed to promote the Elizabethan monarchy, offer illuminating examples of Elizabeth’s struggle to cultivate a distinctive royal identity. I would suggest that the tactical rhetorical practice of creating paradoxical images was an essential constituent of Elizabeth’s statecraft to cement her authority and reinforce her legitimacy. Indeed, the deployment of a discourse of contradiction that shaped Elizabeth’s progresses was a necessary and practical approach to overcome the vulnerability of an unmarried female monarch. The analysis of contradictory imagery is a valuable contribution to comprehend the complexity of Elisabeth’s representation and her strategies of exercising power in a patriarchal society. The research shows that Elizabeth employed the medium of creating ambiguous images as a rhetorical tactic to overcome gender bias against the female monarchy, and her courtiers utilized the same approach to advance their own agendas. It explores two ambiguous representations: masculine/ feminine portrayal and virgin/ maternal depiction.
Garrouri, S. (2021). Elizabeth I’s Royal Progresses: A Study of Formal Orations and Poetic Recitations.
Arab World English Journal for Translation & Literary Studies 5 (3) 2-16.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awejtls/vol5no3.1
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Dr. Sihem Garrouri is an Assistant Professor of English at Northern Border University, Saudi Arabia. She studied at the University of Caen Normandy, France. Her research interests include Renaissance studies, the Elizabethan era, and history of thoughts and politics. Garrouri’s recent publications include: “Queen Elizabeth I: The Rhetoric of a Unique Paradoxical Image” and “Mythologizing the Memory of Gloriana”. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6600-4870
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