Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons English Theses & Dissertations English Summer 2018 Constructing an Early Modern Queen: Posturing, Mimicry, and the Rhetoric of Authority Megan K. Mize Old Dominion University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/english_etds Part of the English Language and Literature Commons, European History Commons, Rhetoric Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons Recommended Citation Mize, Megan K.. "Constructing an Early Modern Queen: Posturing, Mimicry, and the Rhetoric of Authority" (2018). Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Dissertation, English, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/967y- f524 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/english_etds/49 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the English at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in English Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CONSTRUCTING AN EARLY MODERN QUEEN: POSTURING, MIMICRY, AND THE RHETORIC OF AUTHORITY by Megan K. Mize B.A. May 2004, The College of William and Mary M.A. August 2006, Old Dominion University A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ENGLISH OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY August 2018 Approved by: Imtiaz Habib (Director) Lindal Buchanan (Member) David Metzger (Member) Leah Marcus (Member) ABSTRACT CONSTRUCTING AN EARLY MODERN QUEEN: POSTURING, MIMICRY, AND THE RHETORIC OF AUTHORITY Megan K. Mize Old Dominion University, 2018 Director: Dr. Imtiaz Habib As the illegitimate daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, a woman executed for treason, Elizabeth Tudor stood at the center of discourses that often sought to contain or even destroy her. Early on, Elizabeth understood that constant re-invention, performance, and mimicry were key strategies for survival. When she finally ascended the throne in 1558, Elizabeth continued to use these rhetorical methods to retain her autonomy, as far as possible, garnering public support and the loyalty of her court. Although Elizabeth has long been acknowledged as a historical icon and has received considerable scholarly attention, particularly from feminist and feminist-leaning scholars, her status as a skilled rhetor and use of strategic imitation has only been briefly considered. This project will examine Elizabeth as an iconic rhetor, one with the semblance of power and agency within the confines of gendered discourses. Analyzing her performance through the lens of mimicry and historical inaccessibility, as outlined in the theories of Homi Bhabha and Gayatri Spivak, this project considers the following lines of inquiry: Tudor era debates regarding pedagogical strategies and their intersection with rhetorical theories; the influence of early instructors, both women and men, on Elizabeth’s rhetorical strategy; and Elizabeth's emulative self-fashioning as it appears in her speeches, behavior, letters, and portraits. This project suggests that as a seminal figure at the start of the modern moment, Elizabeth’s deft use of mimicry to establish and maintain her royal authority is significant within the rhetorical tradition. iii Copyright, 2018, by Megan K. Mize, All Rights Reserved. iv This dissertation is dedicated to my family, but in particular to Paul C. Mize, a loving grandfather who helped inspire my love of learning and would, no doubt, declare me “a mess.” v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The acknowledgements genre with its sincerity is one that I find difficult, not for the lack of genuine gratitude, but due to my natural tendency towards levity. As such, what follows is my attempt to express sincere appreciation to all those who have supported me on this journey offered in my own way. At moments like these, I wish there was some genre of writing that was committed to expressing emotion in evocative and creative ways. But as I cannot think of such a genre, I’ll turn to the poetry of Philip Sidney: “But words came halting forth, wanting Invention’s stay,/ Invention, Nature’s child, fled step-dame Study’s blows, / And others’ feet still seem’d but strangers in my way.../ Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite-- ‘Fool,’ said my Muse to me, ‘look in thy heart and write.’” Appropriately, emulation is an underlying theme of these acknowledgements. To begin, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my advisor Dr. Imtiaz Habib for his continuous support of my Ph.D study. His guidance helped me understand that literature is not something one does on a Sunday afternoon. I would also like to thank the rest of my dissertation committee, Dr. Leah Marcus, Dr. David Metzger, and Dr. Lindal Buchanan, for their time and insightful comments. Each of these scholars demonstrated thoughtful mentorship which I will always appreciate and seek to emulate. Next, to all my friends, thank you. I am constantly in awe at my good fortune in terms of friendship and community. To my Dissertation Bootcamp community, your company and good humor as we have moved through this process has been invaluable. I have benefited from watching so many scholars generously share their experiences, research, and GIFs. A special thanks to Diane Cook, Carmen Christopher, Vince Rhodes, Angela Harrison, and Christy Gilroy vi for blazing a trail and then showing the possibilities of life beyond the program. Daniel Hocutt, your good-natured spirit and diplomatic insight has often reminded me to lighten up and enjoy the work. April Cobos, your generosity of spirit is matched only by your playful nature; both infuse your work. Your handstands in dangerous places are a metaphor for academia, I am sure. Anthony Garcia, I will always be indebted for you for the conversations regarding the state of Literary Studies; what it was, is, and could be. That intensely invested discourse is what I hoped to engage in when I joined the doctoral program. Laura Buchholz, you are a model of mentorship that I will always strive to match, knowing that I will never have half the patience and wisdom you possess. Laura, Danielle Roach, Matt Beale, and Jamie Henthorn, you are all unparalleled scholars and friends. You will never know how much I have appreciated the laughter you have shared with me. Each of you challenge me to grow as an instructor and researcher, reminding me that we are really just students who refuse to stop learning. Thank you for letting me veer into your research lanes because I want to be more like you. Matt, you deserve an extra acknowledgement for re-reading game instructions to me so many times and not flipping the table when I asked, “So what are we doing?” There are many more colleagues within this program to whom I owe thanks. I could not have asked to be among more engaging and dedicated scholars. Next, I owe Shelley Rodrigo a very large debt. I was on the receiving end of your “sledgehammer” mentorship, which is a gift that can never be repaid. You are both a mentor and a dear friend; thank you for taking on both roles. I know each can be exhausting. Aimee Tripolites, a country may be between us, but you are only a message away. Thank you for making sure the distance is so short. You kept me sane and prevented me from making some serious style errors. Jeff Penano, you are my oldest friend, which means you are my most patient vii friend. You helped me keep things in perspective throughout this incredibly lengthy process, allowing me to laugh at the absurdity of academia while I waded through it. I like you, Jeff. Always have, always will. When it comes to family, words like “thank you” and “gratitude” fail here, but those are the words I have to use. Thank you, my oldest nephew, Alano Mize. You are one of my favorite humans and I am so proud of you. The Mize family could not have asked for a better representative to move forward into the future. To my brother, Shane Mize, thank you for being cool. It lets me look cool in connection. Nicole Mize, thank you for being my sister. I always thought it would be fun to have one. You showed me I was right. To my parents, David and Ginnie Mize, your unfaltering love and support have meant more than you will ever know. From each of you, I have derived my love of reading, history, and teaching. You always listen when I am excited about some obscure discovery, take my side when I face obstacles, and joyfully celebrate my accomplishments. I won the parental lottery. I love you both, very much. Finally, perhaps surpassing all these, one individual in particular has produced a huge impact. Newt, thank you for holding my lap and arms in place as I wrote, head-butting me as you demanded pets, and teaching my spell-check “zzxxxxxxzzx.” You are a good kitty. Yes, you are. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................x Chapter I. INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................1 LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................................................12 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................24 CHAPTER DESCRIPTIONS ............................................................................................35 II. “SHEWETH THE IMAGE AND WAYS OF GOOD LIVING”: EARLY MODERN TACTICS FOR TRAINING A FEMALE