The Heart and Stomach of a King: Elizabeth I and the Politics of Sex and Power (New Cultural Studies) [Paperback]

Carole Levin (Author)

Book Description

Series: New Cultural Studies | Publication Date: June 1, 1994

Chosen as one of the ten best academic books of the 1990s by Lingua Franca readers

"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.

Editorial Reviews

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.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press (June 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812215338
• ISBN-13: 978-0812215335
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,351 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( E ) > Elizabeth I
  • #2 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > British > Elizabeth I
  • #52 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National > Irish

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing look at E's leadership style and politics, January 18, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Dublin, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Heart and Stomach of a King: Elizabeth I and the Politics of Sex and Power (New Cultural Studies) (Paperback)

If you are intrigued by the life and reign of Elizabeth I, you will enjoy this book, whether you agree with all the author's conclusions or not. She gives some interesting insights to the challenges Elizabeth faced as a female monarch and describes how Elizabeth both compensated for her femininity and used it to her advantage during her reign. You will also get a taste of how Elizabethan culture affected the politics of her reign. The book takes an academic approach but is very readable by a layperson. I gave it a 7 only because it slows down in places and I think the author is reaching in making some of the connections between gender and politics that she does. But overall, interesting insights to Elizabeth as leader.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intersection of politics with gender, October 18, 2001

By 

Janice (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Heart and Stomach of a King: Elizabeth I and the Politics of Sex and Power (New Cultural Studies) (Paperback)

"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

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Analyzes the image and perception of a queen, November 29, 2007

By 

Mark Klobas (Tempe, AZ, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Heart and Stomach of a King: Elizabeth I and the Politics of Sex and Power (New Cultural Studies) (Paperback)

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.