Drama by Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I, Queen of England and Ireland, is the only English monarch to have authored dramatic texts, and she is also likely the first woman to produce an English-language dramatic text. Reducing her dramatic output to her part-translation of Hercules Oetaeus and the mock charter she produced for the 1591 entertainment at Theobalds, however, does her a disservice. More than any other English monarch, Elizabeth engaged with the performative aspect of monarchy, infusing her speeches and prayers with a variety of dramatic devices that would not be out of place in early modern plays. This entry considers Elizabeth’s two dramatic outputs within the context of her performance as England’s monarch, and argues not only that drama and performance were central to Elizabeth’s monarchical power and persona, but also that her subjects understood this relationship and engaged with it themselves.