The dominant political figure for 45 years was Queen Elizabeth, shown here in a formal gown worn on State occasions. Shakespeare and most of audience had known no other ruler. Elizabeth had wily political skills that enabled her to survive in a world dominated by men and foreign powers intent upon stopping English expansion. Elizabeth used her gender and the possibility of marriage with children to play different factions off against each other. If the Protestants demanded church reforms she opposed, she would ask them to help her decide whether to accept the marriage proposal of the king of Spain or the mighty duke of France, both devout Catholics. Just the implied threat of a return to the bad old days of persecution by the Catholic Church would cool the Protestant ardor. To the sizable Catholic minority Elizabeth threatened to marry one of the zealous Protestants among the German princes. Her true feelings were best stated when late in life she declared that she was wed to her country only. Throughout her reign she encouraged the people to think of her as "The Virgin Queen," a kind of secular Virgin Mary.

Elizabeth inspired much of the art of her age. Shakespeare has several tributes to her in plays, including an indirect reference to an "imperial votress [virgin priestess] enthroned in the West" in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Others dedicated their works to the queen, such as Edmund Spenser who made a thinly disguised Elizabeth the heroine of his long allegorical epic, The Faerie Queene. Elizabeth was exceptionally well educated, being fluent in Latin and some Greek, and her court was among the most lively and creative in Europe.

As tangible evidence of Elizabeth's use of power, look closely at the dress she wears in the picture. Encrusted with rich jewels and fancy accessories, the dress is actually a statement about power. It took many people lots of hours and a great deal of money to prepare this dress. The ruff alone, in the days before synthetic materials, must have been a full-time job. All of these aspects of the costume are designed to impress the viewer. What looks like a weasel on the queen's arm is actually an ermine, an animal associated with royalty.