Queen Elizabeth Speech To Soldiers

1 Queen Elizabeth Speech to Soldiers In the face of a pending military attack, Queen Elizabeth stood in front of her army, displaying an absolute hunger for victory. Her confidence and attitude fed a patriotic surge of pride and nationalism, which was designed to enhance the propensity for defeating the enemy. Elizabeth’s approach resulted in a deep connection with her soldiers, which was fortified by the fact that she risked her own safety by speaking to them on the battlefield. She did this in hopes guaranteeing a rousing message to her warriors as it was imperative for them to defend their country from the intruders of the Spanish Armada. To accomplish this in a resounding and dramatic way, the Queen articulated the message in a confident tone. The goal of the Queen’s speech was to instill deep inspiration into her army so they would be willing to protect their country at any cost, if necessary, till death. She was successful in achieving a high level of inspiration through her use of diction. The strategy of her speech included the constant implementation of nationalistic ideals and rhetorical appeals to her loyal warriors. In her speech, Queen Elizabeth stands face to face with the men that comprised the army of her great and powerful empire. She delivered (agreeably), one of the most important speeches of her reign. If the battle was lost, England might have fell to the hands of the Spanish, which would have been a devastating defeat to the people of England. The significance & impact of her appearance at the battlefield, as she stood alongside her troops, complimented by her inspirational message to the soldiers was very successful in evoking their sense of maternal protection. By conveying that she had placed her trust in the “loyal hearts” of her subjects, it solidified the soldiers trust in her, and their resolve to show intense strength, for the queen hath put the trust of England’s future in their hands. She also stated she was willing to defend her

2 country for God, her kingdom, and her people, even if it meant shedding of her own blood, (line 8) and if necessary, to die amongst her fellow comrades in arms (line 7). In doing so, the Queen empowered her soldiers to follow in her footsteps as a martyr and a hero. Queen Elizabeth “[herself] will take up arms,” and if followed by her loyal troops, will lead them to a “famous victory over the enemies of [her] God, [her] kingdom, and [her] people” (line 11 & 17). Queen Elizabeth not only evoked the soldiers’ sense of protection, but also used the soldier’s emotion of pride and nationalism to further motivate them to thrive on the battlefield. She filled the soldier’s hearts & minds with a feeling of pride, by calling them “[her} loving people” (lines 1 & 3). The Queen demonstrates her love and adoration towards her people by empathizing with their emotions (pathos), which they found pleasing. However, within lines 7-11, the Queen shifted her message to evoke the soldiers’ inner feelings of patriotism by transitioning her speech to the address the defense of England. As she stated she had the resilience and determination of any of the former King’s of England, she continues to “think foul scorn that… any prince of Europe should dare to invade the borders of [her] realm,” which was attempt to drive the soldiers to the same feeling. This phrase is important because it is an illustration of contempt and in its depiction of the leaders of Europe as simple Princes, substandard to the “King of England.” “Scorn” along with “foul” are harsh sounding, but in the Queens manner of diction it is an unambiguous example of contempt; and together it is a vocal beating and an appeal for the soldiers to think accordingly. The idea of a foreign country invading the people’s homeland, appeals to the army’s sense of patriotism and duty to defend for their country.

3 Queen Elizabeth entrusts her army with her nation. By placing her “chiefest strength and safeguard” within the “loyal hearts” of her people, she puts her trust within them to not let her down, and to give her all the might and fierceness they can, and leave their life on the battleground. She assures the people they have her unconditional trust, which gives them the feeling of power, confidence, and the strength needed to send their men to defend the homeland. The Queen’s loyal army had much respect for the Queen, and did not want to let her down. By promising rewards, the queen was also able to appeal to their sense of greed. Since most men in the Royal Army were poor, the rewards promised the Queen were appealing to the troops, which further encouraged them to fight for victory. Victory was seen as a guarantee of rewards and virtue, allowing for the opportunity to thrive and become legends. Heroes get remembered, but legends never die, for they shall be known for their valor and their family’s name will be cherished. For those who demonstrated merit, exemplary bravery and courageousness on the battlefield, they were able to move higher in social classes. Queen Elizabeth the First, who hailed from the beautiful land of England, inspired her army to die for their mother (Queen), and the motherland. With powerful diction and her use of rhetorical appeals, she achieves her purpose of inspiring her Army into combat with all their might, and risk their lives for the cause restraining the Spanish Armada from entering their beautiful land. The Queen lowered herself to the status of her soldiers, not asking of them anything she personally would not do, was a major point in obtaining their deep commitment to victory. This gives her army motivation to rise to the occasion, in order to sustain their country and make the Queen proud. Queen Elizabeth the First’s speech is intended to tie herself to her soldiers and provoke trust while not drawing adverse attention.

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