Elizabeth I in Writing

Donatella Montini is Associate Professor of English Language and Translation at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.Iolanda Plescia is Assistant Professor of English Language and Translation at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.

“This is an essay-collection … with a number of new approaches and some fresh materials to interest the scholar of writing about, and especially by, this remarkable queen. The volume certainly helps to advance the case for Elizabeth to be studied not only as a monarch, but also as an impressive author, translator, and linguist, wielding language skilfully in a multitude of ways in order to manage both political and personal relationships … .” (Helen Hackett, Early Modern Women Journal, Vol. 14 (1), 2019)

• 1. Introduction.- I. Elizabeth as Author.- 2. The Young Princess Elizabeth, Neo-Latin and the Power of the Written Word.- 3. Ethics from the Classroom: Elizabeth I's translation of Cicero's Pro Marcello.- 4. Styling Power: A corpus-linguistic approach to the correspondence of Queen Elizabeth I.- 5. "Beholde me thy handmaid": The pragmatics and politics of Queen Elizabeth's prayers.- 6. Elizabeth I as Poet: Some notes on "Monsierur's departure" and John Dowland's "Now O now I needs must part".- II. Elizabeth Authored.- 7. A Critical Edition and Discussion of SP 70/2 f.94: A letter and two sonnets by Celio Magno to Queen Elizabeth I.- 8. "La Comediante Politica": On Gregorio Leti's 1693 Life of Queen Elizabeth I.- 9. Multilingualism at the Tudor Court: Henry, Elizabeth and the love letter genre.- III. The Gift of Language, the Language of the Gift.- 10. What Elizabeth Knew. Language as Mirror and Gift.- 11. Queen Elizabeth and the Power and Language of the Gift.