Product Description

"I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king."--Elizabeth I

Whether this sentence is an accurate transcription of Elizabeth's speech at Tilbury in 1588, it does characterize some of the struggles, contradictions, and cultural anxieties that dominated the collective consciousness of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. In The Heart and Stomach of a King, Carole Levin explores contemporary representations of the unmarried, childless Elizabeth and focuses on the ways in which members of her court, foreign ambassadors, and a motley--and sometimes delusional--collection of subjects responded to her. Throughout, Levin's purpose is to explore how gender constructions, role expectations, and beliefs about sexuality influenced both Elizabeth's self-presentation and others' perceptions of her as a female, and Protestant, ruler.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #189288 in Books
• Published on: 1994-06
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

From Publishers Weekly
This study uses Elizabeth Tudor's life to show ``the intersection of politics with gender, of sexuality with power,'' but its real strength is the intriguing portrait of Elizabeth Levin constructs from anecdotes, trivia and gossip often overlooked or dismissed by traditional biographies. A study of Elizabeth I, who successfully ruled England when women were considered too ``feeble and foolish'' to manage their own private affairs, can tell much about power and gender expectations, but too often this book shapes the material to fit the thesis. Concerning the healing royal touch ritual, we're told: ``One can see, however, the gendered nature of the way she approached these ceremonies,'' although Elizabeth doesn't seem to have acted differently from her male predecessors. Similarly, a full chapter isn't needed to convince the reader of a sexual double standard where male and female rulers were concerned and that rumors about Elizabeth's wantonness reflected public unease with a female ruler. Despite some awkward repetitions, this study of how the public responded to Elizabeth and to her extraordinarily successful reign will appeal to anyone interested in Elizabeth Tudor or, more generally, women in power.

Copyright 1994 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
She was England's virgin queen, king but for her sex, "ever her own mistress," as Francis Bacon and his contemporaries proclaimed. Elizabeth I was besieged on all sides: to marry, to go to war, to name an heir. Was she trapped by her gender or able to rise above it? Levin (history, SUNY-New Paltz) attempts to shed new light on this question. Unfortunately, extraneous detail and a scattershot approach detract from the power of her argument. There are some fresh insights here (Elizabeth as healer, and as hater of war, where others would reap the glory), and certainly no one will ever be able to claim full knowledge of what motivated the queen. However, a thorough grounding in Elizabeth's life and times is necessary for understanding Levin's narrative. Recommended for larger academic history collections only.
Nancy L. Whitfield, Meriden P.L., Ct.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"This study will appeal to anyone interested in Elizabeth Tudor or, more generally, women in power."--Publishers Weekly

"An important book. . . . Levin breaks out of the usual stale biographical packaging of Elizabeth by using traditional sources in imaginative ways."--Shakespeare Quarterly "A persuasive analysis of how perception of gender roles helped to constitute power in Tudor England."--Choice

"Promises to become a classic of enduring interest to specialists and general readers alike."--Sixteenth Century Journal

"Levin is stimulating on topics such as Elizabeth I's use of the image of the Virgin Queen, one which could be helpfully confused in the popular imagination with that of the discarded Catholic Virgin Mary."--The London Times

"The Heart and Stomach of a King occupies the realm where political and social history overlap with anthropology, art history, and literary criticism. Enriched by all these viewpoints, Levin's work is remarkably in tune with Elizabeth. The innovative and allusive quality of Levin's prose matches the fluidity and creativity of Elizabeth's behavior."--Albion

Customer Reviews

Analyzes the image and perception of a queen
In an age when the English government lacked a professional bureaucracy or a standing army, the authority of a monarch rested on their legitimacy. As a woman occupying a position traditionally held by men, Elizabeth I faced a special set of challenges in this regard. Trapped between the contrasting expectations of sexuality and politics, she sought to represent herself in a way that allowed her to maintain her legitimacy - and thus her power - in a tumultuous age. In this book, Carol Levin analyzes Elizabeth's efforts to project this image, as well as how she was perceived by her contemporaries as both a woman and in her role as a monarch.

In a series of overlapping essays, Levin focuses on her court's manipulation of images of royalty and the public's reaction to them. The essays are roughly chronological, as the early ones examine the problems of her succession and the early response to her rule, while the later ones consider the challenges she faced as her reign came to an end. Throughout the chapters, Levin charts the ways in which Elizabeth balanced the contrasting expectations she faced, in the end successfully assuming the masculine roles her position required while still exhibiting the femininity her people expected of her.

Levin's book is an interesting, if fragmented examination of Elizabeth's images and how they were received. Her study of these often overlooked elements of Elizabeth's reign helps the reader understand how Elizabeth succeeded as a woman in one of the most masculine of jobs. While few of the arguments she makes are original, she presents her case effectively with a convincing analysis backed by considerable research. For anyone seeking to learn how Elizabeth balanced the demands of her position with those of her gender, this is a good book to read.

Intersection of politics with gender
"I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have th heart and stomach of a King" - Elizabeth I

This quote from Elizabeth I says a lot about this book. Professor Carole Levin examines how Elizabeth I was able to use her role as a woman (where traditionally, the public viewed women as incapable, weak, dependant) to her advantage and at the same time she ruled like a "King". Levin also examined how Elizabeth was so successful in her reign and at the same time, she was not the typical "woman" of her time; she was childless, and unmarried. She portrayed herself as a "Virgin Queen" - as in she was married to her country.

It is important to note that this is not a biography of Elizabeth I but a book that gives a new perspective of Elizabeth I, that helps us to understand the overlapping of politics with gender and sexuality. Levin did an excellent job in using unconventional sources such as gossips, rumors, religious works, diplomatic correspondence that makes it a distinctive scholarly work. This book is also very easy to read, and even if you don't have a substantial backgroup in pre-modern European history, you will not have a problem in reading this book

Elizabeth Rocks--An Accessible Academic Work
This is a beautifully researched, well written, thought provoking study of how one of the most interesting and powerful women in history negotiated gender restrictions during her 45 year reign. Not just a standard biography, "Heart and Stomach" looks carefully at Elizabeth's use of gender perceptions and roles to present herself as the great queen that she was. I've used this book as a text in the classroom and I've recommended it to readers and scholars who are interested in all things Renaissance and in women's history. It's always a hit!