230614 The Virgin Queen: Her Life and Times (S) (WiSe 2026/2027)
Contents, comment
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“I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a concrete elephant!” This is the statement England's most iconic queen makes in the satirical period sit-com Blackadder. The real Queen Elizabeth I, in contrast, is reported to have announced that she had “the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too”, which pinpoints the main challenge of her 45-year reign (1558-1603): She was a woman doing a man’s job at an extremely difficult time.
In this seminar we will discuss how this remarkable woman mastered the challenges of her life, and how she managed to turn the disadvantage of her sex into an asset. Her speech on the occasion of the Spanish Armada continues: “and [I] think foul scorn that [the Duke of] Parma or [the King of] Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm”. “My realm” has a double meaning: it is England, but also the queen’s body. The King of Spain had wanted to marry Elizabeth and gain control of England via marriage. But she allowed no man to “invade her borders”, and England was safe in the hands of the "Virgin Queen".
Some interest in Elizabethan England (which for 40 years was also Shakespeare’s England) is a requirement in this seminar; some historical knowledge would an advantage, but we will work on this together. We will look at historical statements by and about Elizabeth I as well as at fictional representations, including the two films with Cate Blanchett.Please note that this class is linked with Prof. Dr. Anne Schröder’s class "The Virgin Queen and her Age: (Socio-)linguistic Aspects", Thursdays 14-16, and you should therefore expect some (obligatory) joint sessions. For full immersion in Elizabethan England, you might like to take both classes together, but this is not obligatory.
Requirements for participation, required level
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You have to have passed both parts of the LPT in order to take part in profile module courses.
Bibliography
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tba
Teaching staff
Dates ( Calendar view )
| Frequency | Weekday | Time | Format / Place | Period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| weekly | Do | 12-14 | 12.10.2026-05.02.2027 |
Subject assignments
| Module | Course | Requirements | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23-ANG-Profil4 Profile Module 4: Advanced British and American Studies | Profil4.2 British Literature and Culture OR American Literature and Culture | Study requirement
Graded examination |
Student information |
| Profil4.3 British Literature and Culture OR American Literature and Culture | Study requirement
Graded examination |
Student information | |
| 23-ANG-Profil4_G Profile Module 4_G: Advanced British and American Studies | Profil4.2_G British Literature and Culture OR American Literature and Culture | Study requirement
Graded examination |
Student information |
| Profil4.3_G British Literature and Culture OR American Literature and Culture | Study requirement
Graded examination |
Student information | |
| 23-ANG-Profil5 Profile Module 5: Anglophone Cultures around the World | Profil5.2 Anglophone Literatures and Cultures | Study requirement
Graded examination |
Student information |
| Profil5.3 Linguistics: Varieties of English OR Anglophone Literatures and Cultures | Study requirement
Graded examination |
Student information | |
| 23-ANG-Profil5_G Profile module 5_G: Anglophone Cultures around the World | Profil5.2_G Anglophone Literatures and Cultures | Study requirement
Graded examination |
Student information |
| Profil5.3_G Linguistics: Varieties of English OR Anglophone Literatures and Cultures | Study requirement
Graded examination |
Student information | |
| 23-ANG-Profil6 Profile Module 6: Media, Communication and Creative Practices | Profil6.1 Media and Communication | Study requirement
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Student information |
| - | Graded examination | Student information |
The binding module descriptions contain further information, including specifications on the "types of assignments" students need to complete. In cases where a module description mentions more than one kind of assignment, the respective member of the teaching staff will decide which task(s) they assign the students.
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- Last update basic details/teaching staff:
- Tuesday, May 12, 2026
- Last update times:
- Thursday, May 21, 2026
- Last update rooms:
- Thursday, May 21, 2026
- Type(s) / SWS (hours per week per semester)
- seminar (S) / 2
- Language
- This lecture is taught in english
- Department
- Faculty of Linguistics and Literary Studies
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