An audience with the Queen : subversion, submission and survival in three late Elizabethan progress entertainments
Three late Elizabethan progress entertainments are being discussed: Cowdray (August 1591), Elvetham (September 1591), and Harefield (July 1602). The Elvetham entertainment has received some critical attention and is comparatively well known due to the extraordinary preparations undertaken for the royal visit, and the fact that a woodcut of an artificial crescent-shaped lake, especially dug for the occasion, has survived. The other two entertainments have been somewhat neglected, and Harefield survives only in fragmentary form. To my knowledge, its text has never been printed in toto, and the thesis will include a transcript of the original manuscript housed in Warwickshire County Record Office. The traditional view that progress entertainments were pastoral tales whose main purpose was to consolidate and confirm existing class structures is challenged. Entertainments are rather complex fictions that serve not merely to establish and preserve the 'beautiful relation' between Queen and her subjects, highborn as well as lowly. These occasions were also very much sites for the exercise of power, by monarch and hosts alike. When examining these festivities in their historical and political contexts and illuminating
Oehle, Birgit
DA Great Britain ; PR English literature
An audience with the Queen : subversion, submission and survival in three late Elizabethan progress entertainments. Three late Elizabethan progress entertainments are being discussed: Cowdray (August 1591), Elvetham (September 1591), and Harefield (July 1602). The Elvetham entertainment has received some critical attention and is comparatively well known due to the extraordinary preparations undertaken for the royal visit, and the fact that a woodcut of an artificial crescent-shaped lake, especially dug for the occasion, has survived. The other two entertainments have been somewhat neglected, and Harefield survives only in fragmentary form. To my knowledge, its text has never been printed in toto, and the thesis will include a transcript of the original manuscript housed in Warwickshire County Record Office. The traditional view that progress entertainments were pastoral tales whose main purpose was to consolidate and confirm existing class structures is challenged. Entertainments are rather complex fictions that serve not merely to establish and preserve the 'beautiful relation' between Queen and her subjects, highborn as well as lowly. These occasions were also very much sites for the exercise of power, by monarch and hosts alike. When examining these festivities in their historical and political contexts and illuminating
audience queen subversion submission survival late elizabethan progress entertainment late elizabethan progress entertainment discuss august july entertainment receive critical_attention comparatively well_know due extraordinary preparation undertake royal visit fact artificial shaped lake especially dug occasion survive entertainment somewhat neglect survive fragmentary form knowledge text never print include transcript original manuscript house warwickshire county record office traditional_view progress entertainment pastoral tale whose main_purpose consolidate confirm exist class structure challenge rather complex fiction serve merely establish preserve beautiful relation queen subject well occasion also much sit exercise_power monarch host alike examine historical political_context illuminate