What Is The Tone Of Queen Elizabeth's First Speech

In this speech written by Queen Elizabeth I of England, she addresses her army before the battle against Spanish invaders. She implies that she is willing to fight alongside them, even though she is a female. She maintains a formal tone of a leader and appeals to the Pathos of her men to inspire to fight against invincible forces. Queen Elizabeth was preparing her army to defend Great Britain in 1588 against the great Spanish Fleet which was a nearly invulnerable force that many could not hope to defeat. Around this time period for a woman to lead a kingdom and an army herself was unheard of, however she made this speech to attempt to encourage them despite this “disadvantage.” Elizabeth inspires them through her tone and helps to complete

She appeals to her army that although she knows she is “a weak and feeble woman,” however she has “the heart of a king, and a king of England, too.” She lets them know that she herself, isn’t the conventional type of king, but she is willing to be one despite her “setbacks.” Queen Elizabeth continues to implore her army via Ethos by implying she will be their “general, judge, and rewarder,” all of which are typically male roles in this time period, even though she admits her “lieutenant general shall be in my stead,” so truly she will stand by, nevertheless she is there for her people. She ends her speech with one final petition by proclaiming “we shall shortly have a famous victory over the enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people,” thus inspiring her men to fight and lay down their lives for her and England. Her tone appeals to the Ethos and creates a feeling of great yearning to win for the good of England and not her alone. As she promises the men who are “deserved of rewards and many crowns,” that they will “be duly paid,” she enforces a reason for the men to fight to their fullest potential. In the end she successfully influences her army despite their obvious