Consequences of Power and Betrayal
Sir Francis Walsingham:
Forgive me, Your Majesty, I have failed you.
Queen Elizabeth I:
How have you failed me? What am I to forgive you for?
Sir Francis Walsingham:
Philip of Spain is a God-fearing man who cannot declare war without a just cause. I intercepted every letter Mary Stuart secretly dispatched but failed to see Spain knew I was reading them. They waited for her to write the words that in my eyes would confirm her treason. Forgive me. I am trapped in my own web.
Queen Elizabeth I:
And I ordered Mary's execution. I murdered God's anointed Queen. And now God's most dutiful son makes Holy War to punish me.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Weight of Duty and Fear
Queen Elizabeth I:
Are you here to tell me I must murder a Queen?
Sir Walter Raleigh:
I would never presume to tell my Queen what to do. Only you know where your duty lies.
Queen Elizabeth I:
Was it my father's duty to murder my mother? She was a Queen, for a time. Oh, I would be loath to die so bloody a death.
Sir Walter Raleigh:
Since when were you so afraid?
Queen Elizabeth I:
I'm always afraid.
Sir Walter Raleigh:
Kill a Queen and all Queens are mortal. We mortals have many weaknesses: we feel too much, hurt too much. All too soon we die, but we do have the chance of love.
Queen Elizabeth I:
Do we? I have given England my life. Must she also have my soul?
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Queen Elizabeth's Dilemma on Catholic Population
Queen Elizabeth I:
How many Catholics are there in England, sir?
Cabinet Minister #1:
Immense numbers, Majesty.
Cabinet Minister #2:
Half the nation cling to the old superstitions.
Queen Elizabeth I:
What would you have me do? Hang half the people in England, or just imprison them?
Cabinet Minister #2:
We must act, Majesty! Our inaction is perceived as weakness!
Queen Elizabeth I:
If my people break the law, they shall be punished. Until that day, they shall be protected.
Cabinet Minister #1:
Majesty, we have proven reason to fear every Catholic in the—
Queen Elizabeth I:
Fear creates fear. I am not ignorant of the dangers, sir. But I will not punish my people for their beliefs. Only for their deeds. I am assured that the people of England love their Queen. My constant endeavor is to earn that love.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
A Clash of Winds and Pride
Queen Elizabeth I:
Go back to your rathole! Tell Philip I fear neither him, nor his priests, nor his armies. Tell him if he wants to shake his little fist at us, we're ready to give him such a bite he'll wish he'd kept his hands in his pockets!
Spanish Minister: [turns to leave with his ministers]
You see a leaf fall, and you think you know which way the wind blows. Well, there is a wind coming, Madame, that will sweep away your pride.
Queen Elizabeth I:
I, too, can command the wind, sir! I have a hurricane in me that will strip Spain bare if you dare to try me!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Naming a Land After a Queen
Sir Walter Raleigh:
We have named it Virginia, after our Virgin Queen.
Queen Elizabeth I:
Virginia"? And when I am married, will you rename it to "Conjugia"?
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Defining Identity and Faith in Queenship
Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots: [to her accusers]
You know neither who you are, nor what you do. But I know who I am; and if I die, it shall be as I have lived — as a Queen — trusting in the mercy of God, my holy father.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Duality of Mortality and Love
Sir Walter Raleigh:
We mortals have many weaknesses; we feel too much, hurt too much or too soon we die, but we do have the chance of love.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Embrace Today, Dismiss Fear of Tomorrow
Sir Walter Raleigh:
Why be afraid of tomorrow when today is all we have?
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Conflict of Light and Darkness
King Philip II of Spain:
Elizabeth is darkness. I am light.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Wisdom and Courage in Times of Danger
Queen Elizabeth I:
May we have wisdom not to fear shadows in the night, and courage when the day of danger truly dawns.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Defiance and Unity in Battle
Queen Elizabeth I: [to her army at Tilbury]
My loving people. We see the sails of the enemy approaching. We hear the Spanish guns over the water. Soon now, we will meet them face-to-face. I am resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live or die amongst you all. While we stand together, no invader shall pass. Let them come with the armies of Hell; they will not pass! And when this day of battle is ended, we meet again in heaven or on the field of victory.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
