The Royal Court

Depending on the Renaissance Faire you attend, you may see either the English court of King Henry the VIII , or of Queen Elizabeth I . To familiarize you with the royal players, we have outlined a few of the principals of each reign.

Henry VIII (born 1491. Reigned 1509-1547)

King Henry VIII, foolish, self indulgent and impulsive, is one of England's strongest and least popular monarchs. The first English ruler to be educated under the influence of the Renaissance, Henry’s a gifted scholar, linguist, composer, and musician. As a youth he was cheerful and handsome, skilled in all manner of athletic games, but these days he’s became coarse and fat. Don’t let Henry’s jovial, gregarious nature fool you, he beheads or burned people at the stake for failing to bow at his passing. Who is the Queen? One never knows because Henry VIII discards his wives as often as he changes clothes. When the pope excommunicated him for his shenanigans, Henry, enraged threw out the Catholic church and forced the English clergy to acknowledge the king (him) rather than the pope as the "only supreme head of the Church of England."

A confused, self serving ruler, Henry, even while attempting to convert the nation from Catholicism to the Protestant faith, burns Protestants at the stake almost as readily as he hangs and beheaded the "traitors" who uphold the pope. His attack on the papacy is prompted in part by greed. By dissolving the monasteries he’s able to seize their lands and buildings and the costly ornaments of the shrines. Rumor has it that he’s using some of his new riches to fortify the coasts and build England's first real navy. While Henry flounders in his inconsistencies, Cardinal Wolsley (of the Catholic church and Henry’s right hand) is the driving ambition and intelligence behind the throne. Watch your back Henry!

Cardinal Wolsey (1475-1530)

Do not underestimate the jurisdiction of this stern, articulate religious figure. Remarkably able and untiringly industrious, Wolsey rules, as the driving force behind Henry the VIII, with a firm hand. His justice is so swift and unsparing that Nobles (in the know) bow before him. But Wolsey's greed, arrogance, and insatiable thirst for power often outweigh his many great qualities. His arrogant ego is his weak link, play to it with mindful intelligence.

MORE, Thomas (1478-1535)

Thomas More is certainly one of the most respected figures of this period. As a statesman, scholar, and author he is noted for his quick wit and also for his devotion to his religion. Tread carefully when you associate with this man as he is a fearlessly outspoken adversary to Henry VIII’s whim of deeming himself the ultimate head of English church.

Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603)

Because she has locked her heels steadfastly refusing to marry, Elizabeth I, of England, the neglected daughter of Henry VIII, is known as the Virgin Queen. In her late twenties, Elizabeth is tall and slender with brilliant blue eyes, and a pale porcelain face crowned in a mass of curly bright red hair. Athletic and energetic, she loves sports such as riding and shooting. She will hunt all day and dance all night but turn from these entertainment’s to spend excruciatingly long hours with her secretaries, reading dispatches, dictating, and scrutinizing the accounts. She speaks in eloquent sentences when she addressed Parliament or the people. With her courtiers her speech was elegant and witty--and sometimes coarse because (Bless our Bess), she liked a resounding oath as well as had her father. Elizabeth I laughs loudly when amused; but beware, when angered, her fits of temper can reduce strong nobles to ruin. She’s vain of her good looks, especially of her long beautiful hands, and she loves extravagant dress and jewels. She has a genius for diplomacy, being both cautious and wily. She understands finance and is extremely frugal in the expenses of government. She loathes war because it was wasteful of both men and resources. Her devoted subjects often refer to her good naturedly as, "Good Queen Bess". Her reign is destined to be called the Elizabethan Age.

William Cecil (the first Baron Burleigh) (1520-1598)

Speak no ill will toward Elizabeth where Sir William Cecil, Baron of Burleigh can hear. The wise and careful minister, is Queen Elizabeth’s dutiful confidant. This unequivocally loyal and obedient statesman and principal adviser, was rewarded for his services by being dubbed Lord Burleigh. What the real feelings or intentions of Elizabeth are, only Elizabeth and Sir William Cecil know for sure; but insiders suspect Elizabeth of only wishing one thing more than Mary's Queen of Scots death, and that is to remain free of the blame of it. Lord Burleigh a willing accomplice has drawn out the warrant for Mary’s execution per Elizabeth’s orders the question now remains, did she sign it.

Robert Dudley Leicester, Earl of Leicester (1532-88)

An English statesman and soldier; Queen Elizabeth’s (secret) lover, who can be found skulking through the palace halls in the wee hours of the night. Elizabeth much favors this randy and unpredictably scamp despite his supposed secret marriage to Amy Robsart and the scandal of his her death. The Earl of Leicester is said to have caused Robsart, the daughter of an English gentleman, to be murdered, down at his country-seat, Cumnor Hall, in Berkshire, so that he might be free to marry the queen. His freedom has failed to sway the Queen’s decision to never marry. This mysterious stream of events forms the theme of Sir Walter Scott's 'Kenilworth'.

Robert Devereux Essex, 2nd earl of (1567-1601)

An English soldier and courtier, the second Earl of Essex ( the stepson of the Earl of Leicester.) who was born in Netherwood, Herefordshire; is an "intermittent" favorite of Queen Elizabeth I. Recently he angered the queen by his secret marriage to the young widow of Sir Philip SIDNEY. On the advice of Francis Bacon, he has entered politics, hoping to seize power from the aging Lord Burleigh, but Elizabeth conferred power on Burleigh's son, Robert Cecil, instead. On his own demand, Essex was sent to Ireland as lord lieutenant, where he failed to quell the rebellion of the earl of Tyrone. On his return he was confined and later banned from court. Gossip mongers say he is attempting a coup by establishing his own party around the queen, but his close friends fear that if it fails, he will be arrested and executed.

William Shakespeare--Genius of Drama (1564-1616)

The great genius of Elizabeth’s reign is young William Shakespeare, a hard-working, sober man who is very middle-class in his ways. Although considered a artist, Shakespeare has steadily gathered wealth and taken exceptional care of his new family. Playwrights of this time, Shakespeare included, are practical men, more eager to fill the theaters than to please the critics. Shakespeare doesn’t harbor any fancy illusions of greatness. He listens to what the public says, an is quick to detect changes in popular taste. He believes that man can overcome the evil in himself. He says "we are mixtures of good and evil." His people have astonishing reality. Like real people, they can be great and yet foolish, bad and yet likable, good and yet faulty. He believes that the world is made up of all kinds of people. He finds fools, criminals, and madmen fascinating. Because of his beliefs, Shakespeare's people are painted larger than life. They have superhuman energy and grandeur. They stand for mankind in its greatest passions and powers, for good or for evil. He writes his plays to be acted, not read. He takes whatever forms are attracting attention and makes them better. To save time he borrows plots and put down other men's thoughts in his own words. Like other dramatists he is an actor and producer. He joins a company and became its playwright. He sells his manuscripts to it and keeps no personal rights in them. Revising old plays and working with other writers on new ones is common. The demand for plays is so great and it can never be fully met.

Shakespeare's popularity is due to many things. His plays are filled with action, his characters are credible, and his language is rousing to hear or read. While watching a Shakespearean tragedy, the audience is moved and shaken. After the show the spectators are calm, washed clean of pity and terror. They are saddened but at peace, repeating the old whispering, "There, but for the grace of God, go I." Above all, Shakespearean comedy is full of fun. The characters are lively; the dialogue is witty. In the end young lovers are wed; old babblers are silenced; wise men are content. The comedies are joyous and romantic.

The outward events of Shakespeare's life are so ordinary that many people find it impossible to believe that such a man could write these plays. How could such a practical man know such heights and depths of passion. Because of this, many of the people around Shakespeare express little realization of his greatness. Further, many members of Elizabeth’s court believe that a man of his humble beginnings could not have learned about the professions, the aristocratic sports such as hawking and hunting, the speech and manners of the upper classes.

Shakespeare surpasses even Chaucer in creating character. Noble and disturbed Hamlet, pathetic Ophelia, wise Portia, ambitious Macbeth, witty Rosalind, villainous Iago, dainty Ariel--these are a few of the characters Shakespeare has made immortal.

In addition to his ability to tell a story and to creates character, Shakespeare is able to use words brilliantly. Phrases and whole lines from his works have become part of daily speech--for example, "the milk of human kindness" or "the play's the thing." Entire speeches are universally familiar--"To be or not to be," from 'Hamlet'; "All the world's a stage," from 'As You Like It'; "The quality of mercy is not strained," from 'The Merchant of Venice'.

No one in all history has a greater command of the right word, the unforgettable phrase, or the sentence that strikes straight to the heart of the truth.

Sir Frances Drake (1543-1596)

From time to time you may find the great sea faring explorer and adventurer, Sir Frances Drake, at Queen Elizabeth’s side. Born near Tavistock, in Devonshire, Drake grew up in a seafaring atmosphere. While still a boy he worked as a sailor. When he was 20 he sailed with his cousin, Sir John Hawkins, to Guinea on the west coast of Africa to obtain slaves. He rose to command a ship under Hawkins and was with him when Spaniards attacked the fleet off the port of Veracruz in Mexico. All but two of the English ships were destroyed in this battle, and Drake lost nearly everything he possessed. Drake never forgave the Spanish for their treachery on this occasion or for their cruel treatment of their English prisoners. He devoted the rest of his life to a relentless war against Spain. Drake's great voyage around the world, between 1577 and 1580, had the secret financial support of Queen Elizabeth I and the war party in her council. They hoped it would end the Spanish monopoly of the profitable trade in the Pacific. Drake won the Queen’s undying admiration when he took a leading part in defeating the Great Armada sent by Spain to invade England.

John Hawkins (1532-1595)

An Admiral and adventurer, Hawkins is one of the bravest and most daring of Queen Elizabeth’s colorful seamen. Sir John Hawkins was the first to defy Spain's power in the West Indies. As a merchant, he made many voyages to initiate trade with the New World.

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