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

June 2021

Q1: How convincing is Interpretation A about Catholic plots against Queen Elizabeth I?

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

Answer:

For example, the interpretation is convincing because it is unlikely that a plot would have been successful without foreign assistance. The mission was a public exercise in 1580 by Campion but Parsons worked behind the scenes to encourage Catholics to plot against Elizabeth. Thus from 1581 Elizabeth increased the severity of anti-Catholic laws with increased Recusancy fines. To start with these were low and could be afforded by Catholics. But after the mission in 1581 the fine was increased to £20 and strictly enforced. After the Throckmorton plot in 1583 the government brought in the Bond of Association which aimed to stop plotters benefiting from the Queen’s death. From 1585 the state actively hunted Catholic priests in the country and in 1593 stopped Catholics travelling more than five miles from their home. more than one aspect of the interpretation. For example, it is convincing because the plots all threatened Queen Elizabeth. Mary, Queen of Scots had only just arrived when the Northern Rebellion happened. The Pope’s excommunication of Elizabeth in 1570 encouraged Catholics to consider rebelling against the Queen. The Throckmorton plot had Mary at its centre and it involved the Spanish ambassador and the murder of Elizabeth. The Babington plot was another attempt to put Mary on the throne with help from Spain. But Walsingham trapped Mary. All of the plots showed that Elizabeth had to keep her eye on English Catholics as they were a real For example, it is convincing because the plots kept happening because Elizabeth was Protestant, had no children, and the Pope and King Philip II wanted her replaced by a Catholic. There were many plots against Queen Elizabeth such as the Ridolfi plot. Answers may show understanding/support for interpretation, but the case is For example, when Mary arrived in 1568 she became a figurehead for Catholic plots such as the Northern Rebellion led by the Duke of Norfolk, Elizabeth

Q2: Explain what was important about Elizabethan England that made it a ‘Golden Age’.

Answer:

the consequences of the stated development (a ‘Golden Age’) in the broader For example, what was important about England was that it was changing with the rise of the gentry, and different attitudes eg they were sympathetic to poor people. This meant that people thought they lived in a more enlightened and sophisticated time. This sense of a ‘Golden Age’ was enhanced by ‘Gloriana’ or Elizabethan propaganda. However this could be a myth as England was still brutal – there was torture and harsh punishments. And only a small minority lived in luxury and the poor had just enough to survive. Life expectancy was low and there were epidemics. For example, the Elizabethans thought they were living in a golden age because of the amount of change they witnessed. Elizabeth’s long reign compared with her brother’s and sister’s was seen as a blessing. England defeated the most powerful nation in Europe – Spain, and many viewed this as recognition of England’s special time. For example, there were some important fundamental changes in society brought about by the rise of the gentry, the development of the printing press, greater wealth through trade and exploration, population growth, rising prices and the wide range of new Renaissance artistic developments. the identified consequences, supporting by factual knowledge and For example, because the Elizabethan saw all of the changes going on around them and thought that they lived in a special time which they did because of the new plays in the theatre, the discoveries of the explorers such as potatoes or tobacco, the breakthroughs in technology such as the astrolabe, and new For example, the plays and development of the theatre was seen as a part of the ‘Golden Age’.

Q3: Write an account of the difficulties which faced Queen Elizabeth as a female ruler.

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 Elizabethans did not have high hopes for a female ruler. Elizabeth sister, Mary, had been very extreme in her religious views and married a foreigner – Philip II of Spain which angered many Englishmen. Mary, Queen of Scots, was another example of a female monarch that did not impress. Elizabeth was young and inexperienced in government. She had to overcome prejudices to prove she was her father’s daughter. For example, the biggest difficulty was that it was difficult for a woman to lead the Church of England and to decide on religion. This is why she became the ‘governor’ rather than the ‘head’ of the church. Her sister, Mary, had been a strong Roman Catholic. Elizabeth brother, Edward, had been an extreme Protestant, and it was difficult because Elizabeth wanted loyalty, she steered a middle course to not upset anyone and keep the peace. simple understanding of consequence(s) with supported with factual For example, the nobility expected Elizabeth to marry which was a problem because if she married a foreigner she might upset Englishmen, and if she married a particular Englishmen might upset the others. Really they wanted an For example, everyone expected Elizabeth to get a husband and have a baby. should demonstrate their ability to construct and develop a sustained line of reasoning which is coherent, relevant, substantiated and logically structured.

Q4: ‘The main reason for building a stately home in the Elizabethan period was to

impress.’ How far does a study of Kenilworth Castle support this statement? Explain your answer. You should refer to Kenilworth Castle 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 were several reasons to build a stately home in Elizabethan England, many of which are shown at Kenilworth Castle. Robert Dudley’s building was designed to impress the court and especially the Queen so that she would marry him. It was meant to be a display of his suitability on several levels. It obviously displayed his wealth as he spent £40,000 on the alterations. It was also a fashion statement of the Renaissance period, it was full of cultural features, blended in with his coat of arms, the house and garden announced his understanding of classical allusion and symbolism. As well as this it shouted out Dudley’s suitability to be Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Dudley was able to suggest that he came from a noble tradition by the way he blended the existing parts of Kenilworth Castle into the new parts. He showed that he wanted to please the Queen by providing a gallery for dancing in, and a garden for walking in. The extensive grounds allowed the Queen to hunt which he knew she enjoyed. Answers may suggest that one factor has greater merit. For example, the main reason for building a stately home in Elizabethan England was certainly for someone like Robert Dudley to impress both the local community, and the whole court. Of course, the most important person in the court was the Queen and he had known her from a young age. She had affection for him. His building at Kenilworth was designed to impress her enough for her to marry him. That this did not happen might have something to do the death of Amy Robsart, Dudley’s first wife, and the political difficulty of marrying an English suitor rather than a foreign one. But certainly, Dudley did everything he could to impress Elizabeth with his wealth, status, and suitability. He made sure that his coat of arms was everywhere, he designed a garden which was both beautiful, and full of symbolism that demonstrated his love for Elizabeth, and testified to his culture and intellect. In the end, perhaps at Kenilworth he just tried too hard. For example, Kenilworth Castle was designed to stand as a monument to Robert Dudley and his family, as well as to impress the Queen. His brother was the Earl of Warwick and he did not have any children to inherit. After it became obvious to Leicester that the Queen would not marry him, however impressed she was with Kenilworth, he became concerned about passing on his estates. He had an illegitimate son from a relationship with Lady Sheffield but the reason why he married the Countess of Essex in 1578 was to try to get a consequences by simple reasoning supported with factual knowledge and understanding of the site. For example, everything about Kenilworth Castle is designed to impress the Queen Elizabeth. There was a grand new entrance to the castle wide enough for carriages to pass through. Dudley had elaborate accommodation for her which included a long gallery so that she could enjoy dancing. The views over the lake from the Queen’s accommodation would have been impressive. For example, Robert Dudley built a beautiful garden for Elizabeth to walk in. It had an aviary, fountain and fruit trees.