Paper 2 Section B/C: Elizabethan England, c1568–1603

June 2020

Q1: How convincing is Interpretation A about the Earl of Essex?

Explain your answer based on your contextual knowledge and what it says in Interpretation A.

Answer:

For example, the interpretation is convincing because Essex was impulsive he rushed back from Ireland straight into the Queen’s presence in her private quarters. He was dishevelled and dirty, and she was unprepared. His enemies at court were the Cecils who undermined him while he was away. But he was arrogant and did not help himself by going against the Queen’s orders, creating knights of his followers and making a peace with the Earl of Tyrone. That he dared to think of rebelling, shows his lack of judgement but also Elizabeth’s weaker hold on the government at the end of her reign. more than one aspect of the interpretation. For example, it is convincing because it says that Essex rebelled he took four of the Queen’s Privy Councillors hostage, and with over 200 armed followers marched to his London house. Cecil labelled him a traitor and Elizabeth’s soldiers forced him to surrender. There was no support for him in London. Within two weeks he was put on trial for treason. He was executed on 25 February 1601. For example, the interpretation is convincing because Essex failed in Ireland. He was sent to put down a rebellion and instead he made peace with the Earl Answers may show understanding/support for interpretation, but the case is For example, Essex was one of Elizabeth’s favourites at court.

Q2: Explain what was important about Puritanism in Elizabethan England.

Answer:

the consequences of the stated development (Puritanism) in the broader For example, what was important about Puritanism was that it threatened the hierarchy of power and authority. By criticising the bishops and the church hierarchy which Elizabeth supported, Puritans also implied criticism of political authority – that of the Queen and nobility. Puritanism covered a wide range of views from radical to moderate and there were many Puritan supporters at Court and in the Privy Council. For example, Puritanism was important because many of the ideas came from John Calvin in Geneva and were different to how the Elizabethan Anglican church worshipped. Puritans wanted to wear simple clothes during services they criticised the bishops. Puritans wanted a simple form of church service and little decoration in churches. Some Puritans wanted to separate from the Church of England and a new separatist church was established in Norwich led by Robert Browne in 1580. For example, Puritanism was important because some of their extreme views required Elizabeth to take action to show that she was in charge of the church. She disagreed with Archbishop Edmund Grindal about prophesying - Puritan prayer meetings to discuss the Bible. Elizabeth did not want Puritan ideas spread, Grindal refused to close them down so Elizabeth replaced him with John Whitgift. He immediately issued the Three Articles forcing all churchmen to swear to accept the bishops, the Prayer book, and the 39 Articles of 1563. He had a much harsher approach and wished to suppress Puritanism. For example, Puritanism was important because they wanted Queen Elizabeth to take action against the Catholics in England. They had many supporters in government and in the clergy. For example, the Puritans were hotter types of Protestant.

Q3: Write an account of the ways in which the theatre developed in Elizabethan England.

Answer:

reasoning supported by a range of accurate and detailed factual knowledge and understanding. For example, an explanation of different impacts/ consequences of change in the broader historical context. For example, the Elizabethan theatre showcased the idea that Elizabethans were living in a ‘Golden Age’. Playwrights were aware that the world was changing and they questioned medieval ideas. They gave voice to newly educated townspeople. The plays signalled the discoveries both scientific and geographic of the new age. The authorities were well aware of this new medium, and censored it when necessary but also used it as entertainment for For example, in Elizabethan England the theatre developed because the Queen approved of it and enjoyed the plays. They were performed for her at court. The Queen, like the nobility, used their patronage to support her own troupe of players, ‘Queen’s Men’. This support meant that opposition from groups like the Puritans, who would rather people went to church on Sunday than a play, or the city authorities in London who feared both crime, disorder and disease, did not stop the development of the Elizabethan theatre. simple understanding of consequence(s) with supported with factual For example, the theatre developed in Elizabethan times from being performed in the courtyard of an inn to purpose-built theatres. Rich people could sit in the gallery and the poor people gathered round the pit below the stage. There were many great playwrights like Shakespeare. For example, rich and poor people enjoyed visiting the theatre. The place was should demonstrate their ability to construct and develop a sustained line of reasoning which is coherent, relevant, substantiated and logically structured.

Q4: ‘Leadership was the main reason for success in battle during the Elizabethan period.’

How far does a study of the Spanish Armada support this statement? Explain your answer. You should refer to the defeat of the Spanish Armada in the English Channel and your contextual knowledge. and AQA will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgements. If you have any queries please contact the Copyright Team.

Answer:

To support their answer students could include aspects of the site such as: location, function, structure, design, people connected with the site, how the site reflects culture, values and fashions of the time and how the site links to important events and/or developments of the specified period. understanding of the site. For example, there several reasons why the Spanish Armada was defeated and leadership on both the Spanish and the English side was a very important one of them. There were long term reasons other than what happened in the channel, such as Drake’s raid on Cadiz in 1587 which delayed the sailing of the Armada, and damaged its supplies especially the casks which leaked and caused food to rot when the Armada did sail. Because Medina-Sidonia was not a regular naval commander he stuck rigidly to Philip II’s plan. Had he more independence or courage he might have attacked the English fleet earlier and that would have bought him time to communicate with Parma and for the Spanish army to embark. Answers may suggest that one factor has greater merit. For example, leadership was important but so too was technology, the English had smaller more agile ships and their guns could be reloaded far more quickly than the Spanish guns. So, the English fired more shots and were more devastating than the Spanish guns. The Spanish possessed fewer of the long- range guns that the English had and the ships did not have the correct cannon balls to use in them. Tactics played a part because the Spanish intended to get close to and board the English ships whereas the English avoided that and used their advantage by firing from distance. For example, the main reason the Armada failed was because of poor leadership – not that of Medina Sidonia who merely carried out the plan of Philip II. His leadership was flawed because he did not understand the practicalities of coordinating a fleet and a land army at the same time. Communications also played a part in coordinating the Spanish fleet and its army. When the Spanish fleet arrived, Medina Sidonia had not yet defeated the English fleet which attacked. It might have been defeated had the Spanish attacked the English fleet in Plymouth but Medina-Sidonia stuck to Philip II’s consequences by simple reasoning supported with factual knowledge and understanding of the site. For example, the English were led by Howard of Effingham and Francis Drake. The Spanish were led by Medina Sidonia, although King Philip II of Spain gave him the plan to join up with the Duke of Parma to escort his army across the English Channel. But Parma wasn’t ready and the English launched fireships. This was a brilliant tactic because it broke up the Spanish fleet. The English fleet was smaller and more agile. It had greater firepower because of the nature of its guns so technology played a part. For example, the English used fireships to break up the crescent formation of the Spanish Armada led by Medina-Sidonia.