对伊丽莎白一世与武则天不同评价之文化比较.docx

对伊丽莎白一世与武则天不同评价之文化比较.docx

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对伊丽莎白一世与武则天不同评价之文化比较

对伊丽莎白一世与武则天不同评价之文化比较

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ACulturalComparisonofDifferentComments

onElizabethⅠandWuZetian

I.Introduction

Inthelonghuman’shistory,thererarelyappearsfamouswomenoreventhefemalerulers.Mostofthecountriesontheearthareruledbymenfortheyarepowefulandambitious.Soitisverydifficultforthosewomenwhowanttoruleacountryinsteadofmen.Thereweretwowomenwhowerebothintelligentandfabulous.TheirnamesareElizabethⅠandWuZetian.ChinaandEnglandwerebothFeudalcountries,however,theirwomen’ssocialstatusandeducationweresodifferent.

Thetwowomenbothmadesignificantcontributionstotheircountriessuchaseconomy,politician,arts,etc.Thoughtheyweretwointelligentfemalerulersunderwhosereignstheircountriesappearsflourishingpeoplehavedifferentattitudestowardsthem.ThisarticleiswrittentoanalyzethedeepreasonswhichformedthesephenomenonsinEnglandandChinafromdifferentperspectives.

II.CommentsonElizabethⅠandWuZetian

ElizabethⅠandWuZetianarebothgreatfemaleswhomadecontributionstoeachcountries.Buttheirpeoplehavedifferentcommentsonthem.

ABriefIntroductiontoElizabethⅠ

ThefirstQueenElizabeth,whosenamehasbecomeasynonymfortheerawhichshedominated（1558-1603）,wasbornin1533toHenryVIIIandAnneBoleyn.Called“Gloriana”byEdmundSpenserin“TheFaerieQueene”,Elizabeth’sdeftpoliticalskillsandstrongpersonalcharacterweredirectlyresponsibleforputtingEngland（atthetimeofheraccessionin1558aweak,dividedbackwaterfaroutsidethemainstreamofEuropeanpowerandculturaldevelopment）ontheroadtobecomingatrueworldeconomicandpoliticalpowerandrestoringthecountry’slostsenseofnationalpride.ElizabethwasthefifthandlastmonarchoftheTudordynastyandherreignisknownasthe“ElizabethEra”famousaboveallfortheflourishingof,ledbyplaywrightssuchasand,andfortheseafaringprowessofEnglishadventurerssuchas.UnderherreignEnglandstrengtheneditsmarinemilitatyanddomesticunion.

PositiveCommentsonElizabethI

MostofEnglishhistoriciansthinkElizabetharegreat,intelligent,pureQueen.Within2oyearsofherdeath,shewasbeingcelebratedastherulerofagoldenage,animagethatretainsitsholdontheEnglishpeople.DuringElizabeth’s44yearsonthethroneprovidedwelcomestabilityforthekingdomandhelpedforgeasenseofnationalidentity.

In2005,theHistoryChannel’sdocumentarythathistoriciansanalyzedthetwelveEnglandmonorchsandgradedthemdependingontheirmilitaryforceandinfluence,etc.Elizabethrankednumber1andwasthoughtasthegreatestmonarchofEngland.

AsawomanhowdidshemanageEnglandsowellandledEnglandtotheflourishingroad?

Justlikemosthistoricianspraiseherthatsheisaintelligentwoman.InfactshewasabrilliantwomanwhoshowedgreatwisdombyrefusingtodirectlyantagonizeParliament.Oneofhermottoeswas“videoettaceo”（Isee,andsaynothing）.Thisstrategy,viewedwithimpatiencebyhercounsellors,oftensavedherfrompoliticalandmaritalmisalliances.Sheacquiredundyingdevotionfromheradvisementcouncil,whowereconstantlyperplexedbyherhabitofwaitingtothelastminutetomakedecisions.Sheusedthevariousfactions,playingoneoffanotheruntiltheexhaustedcombatantscametoherforresolutionoftheirgrievances.FewEnglishmonarchsenjoyedsuchpoliticalpower,whilestillmaintainingthedevotionofthewholeofEnglishsociety.

Elizabeth’sreignwasoneofthemoreconstructiveperiodsinEnglishhistory.Herintelligenceandcouragealsocouldbefoundinherattitudestowardsdomesticreligiousproblemsandaboardaffence.Elizabethinheritedatatteredrealm:

dissensionbetweenCatholicsandProtestantstoreattheveryfoundationofsociety;theroyaltreasuryhadbeenbleddrybyMaryandheradvisors,Mary’slossofCalaisleftEnglandwithnocontinentalpossessionsforthefirsttimesincethearrivaloftheNormansin1066andmanyCatholicsdoubtedElizabeth’sclaimtothethrone.Continentalaffairsaddedtoherproblems-FrancehadastrongfootholdinScotland,andSpain,thestrongestEuropeannationatthetime,posedathreattothesecurityoftherealm.Elizabethprovedmostcalmandcalculating,employingcapableanddistinguishedmentocarryingoutroyalprerogative.Herfirstorderofbusinesswastoeliminatereligiousunrest.Shewas,however,compelledtotakeastrongerpro-Protestantstancewheneventsdemandedit.ThesituationwithMaryQueenofScotswasmostvexingtoElizabeth.Mary,inElizabeth’scustodybeginningin1568,gainedtheloyaltyofCatholicfactionsandinstitutedseveral-failedassassinationplotsagainstElizabeth.AfterirrefutableevidenceofMary’sinvolvementintheplotscametolight,ElizabethsadlysuccumbedtothepressurefromheradvisorsandhadtheScottishprincessexecutedin1587.ShemadethefirstchurchofEnglandaprotestantdenominationandavoidedawarwiththeRomanCatholicnations.

ButthepersecutionofcontinentalProtestantsforcedElizabethintowar.Thesituationcametoheadin1588afterElizabethrejectedamarriageproposalfromPhilipIIofSpain.TheindignantSpanishKing,incensedbyEnglishpiracyandforaysinNewWorldexploration,senthismuch-fearedArmadatoraidEngland,inadvertentlyprovidingElizabethwithanopportunitytoputonpublicdisplaythosequalitiesofheartthatonemightnotexpecttofindinthosedays,inasmall,frailwoman.Atthattime,defeatingSpainwasadream,howevetshetraveledtoTilbury,Essex,toaddresshertroopsastheyawaitedthecomingbattlewiththefearedSpanishnavalforces.Shetoldthem:

ThereforeIamcomeamongstyou,asyousee,atthistime,notformyrecreationanddisport,butbeingresolved,inthemidstandheatofthebattle,toliveanddieamongstyouall;tolaydownformyGod,andformykingdom,andmypeople,myhonourandmyblood,eveninthedust.IknowIhavethebodybutofaweakandfeeblewoman;butIhavetheheartandstomachofaking,andofakingofEnglandtoo,andthinkfoulscornthatParmaorSpain,oranyprinceofEurope,shoulddaretoinvadethebordersofmyrealm.（Strachey,L,2005:

95）

SheencouragedthearmywhichatlastdefeatedthestrongestArmada.TheEnglishwonthenavalbattlehandily,aidedbysomefortuitousinclementEnglishChannelweather,andemergedastheworld’sstrongestnavalpower,settingthestageforlaterEnglishimperialdesigns.Hercouragewasrespectedbyherpeopleandthat’swhyshebecameagreatruler.

PeopleknowthatElizabethreinedthecountryfor45yearsandnevermarried.SomehistoriciansuchasGuy,Haigh,Ridleyanalyzedit.TheysaidthatalthoughElizabethentertainedmanymarriageproposalsandflirtedincessantly（herclosestbrushwithmarriagecamewithRobertDudley,earlofLeicester）.Despiteseveralpetitionsfromparliamentandnumerouscourtships,sheneverdid.Shewantedamarriage,howevertherewasadilemmathatwhomevershewouldmarry:

aCathlicmanorapuritanttherecouldnotavoidabattlebetweenthetworeligiousfactions.What’sworse,acivilwarmayhappenifshechooseanyoneofthem.Tosomedegree,shesacrificedherhappinesstokeepEnglandunited.Hencehervirginityisvaluedbypeople.SheexcelledatrisingtochallengesandemergingvictoriousElizabeth,“Gloriana,”thelastoftheTudors,diedwithoutleavinganheiratseventyyearsofageafterareignthathadexceededallrealisticexpectationsforitandqualifieshertobeconsideredinthetoprankofBritishmonarchs.SheusedhergreatcourageandintelligencetogiveEnglandagoodstart.JustasDrDavidStarkeypaisedher:

Elizabethisextraordinary.Shelooksextraordinary.Shebehavesinanextraordinaryway.Andasawomanmovingsoeffortlesslyinman’sworld,shesodoublyextraordinary.

NegativeCommentsonElizabethI

Thoughsomehistoriansaremorereservedintheirassessments.TheydepictElizabethasashort-tempered,sometimesindecisiveruler,whoenjoyedmorethanhershareofluck.ThewarwithSpainmadeEnglandhaveagreatdebt,what’smorethesoldierscouldnotgettheirsalariessometimes.Theeconomywasweakenedandthereappearedmorepoorpeople.Becausetowardstheendofherreign,aseriesofeconomicandmilitaryproblemsweakenedherpopularitytothepointwheremanyofhersubjectswererelievedatherdeath.ManyhistoricianscriticizeElizabeth’sera.SomemordernEropeanhistoricianssuchasSomerset,Eltonbegintobesuspiciousofthelong-timeactivecommentsonTudorera.Theymainlycriticizeherbecauseshesupportedslavetrafficforhighprofitalthoughsheknewthatwasinhumanbehavior.Underherreign,Englandextendeditsexplorationandslavetrade.

ABriefIntroductiontoWuZetian

Therearemorethan400EmperorsinthehistoryofChina.TherewasonlyonefemaleEmperorinthehistoryofChina.ShewasknownasEmperorWuZetian.ShelivedduringtheTangDynastyandwasborntoawealthyandnoblefamilyandverywelleducated.WuZetian（:

武则天）（625–16December705,personalnameWuZhao（武曌）,oftenreferredtoasTianHou（天后）duringTangDynastyandEmpressConsortWu（武后）inlatertimes,wastheonlywomaninthetoassumethetitleof.Shebrokeallprecedentswhenshefoundedherowndynastyin690,theZhou（周）（interruptingthe）,andruledpersonallyunderthenameSacredandDivineEmpressRegnant（聖神皇帝）andvariationsthereoffrom690to705.Intheyear690,shedethronedthepuppetemperor,declaredherselfasSacredandDivineEmpressRegnantandfoundedherownDynasty.Shepassedawayin705,livi