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King James I

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Introduction
“There can be no doubt that James I possessed some major shortcomings as a ruler, the most damaging of which were his over-reliance on favourites, his complete neglect of his public image, and his inability to live within his financial means.” (Durston, 1993, p.64).
This dissertation will examine the different representations of King James I of England and VI of Scotland through the literature of his time. I have identified some common features in the literature, which are relevant to certain issues, and the various representations of the King and his court such as: the King’s conspicuous consumption; a general dislike to the physical appearance of the King among his subjects; attempts at flattery of the King; and examples of the …show more content…

Alongside these texts, other primary sources will come from King James’ contemporaries, Jacobean pageants, and a range of court masques by Ben Jonson and Thomas Middleton alongside the use and analysis of paintings where relevant. Furthermore, King James I of England and VI of Scotland was a writer of many pieces of literature throughout his life, these will be analysed in terms of his scholarly depiction and what the literature itself is conveying. Each of these pieces depicts King James I in different ways, however, due to it being an offence to blatantly depict the King in literature in an unflattering light, some pieces will require a careful and nuanced interpretation order to unpick the meaning. There will also be other pieces of literature from both before and after King James I of England’s rule which will be applied when necessary, this will look at his representation and focus on how it changed after his death in …show more content…

This thesis will also explore whether there is a difference between King James VI of Scotland and the perceptions of King James I of Great Britain. Although King James’ request to be named as ‘King of Great Britain’ was rejected by Commons in April 1604, in October of the same year, the King assumed by proclaimation rather than statute the title of ‘King of Great Britain’ (Willson, 1963, pp.249-252). However, Sir Francis Bacon warned King James that the title was to be “used in letters, treaties, proclamations, dedications and coinage, though not in ‘any legal proceeding, instruments or assurance’” (Willson, 1963, p.252). This title and its significance will also be explored and evaluated later in this thesis in ‘The King as a

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