I must stay vigilant and strong for Laura. Ever since she listened to the evil cries of the goblin men I've seen her slowly but surely deteriorate from her lively self. As every new day comes and goes, so does a part of Laura. Her golden locks have now turned to grey hair belonging to an old woman. The way I can hopefully save her is by hearing for the cries of the goblins and getting fruit to give her. This task will be the hardest thing I have done in my whole life, as getting the fruit from the goblin men without eating it is almost unheard of. Someone recovering from the goblins’ fruit is unheard of, but I am willing to take on the challenge. While I embark on my journey to find the fruit I will always think of this quote by our past queen, Elizabeth I. “I know I have but the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart of a king…” Elizabeth I (1588) This quite gives me the strength and confidence to be brave enough to face the goblin men. I will have to be able to resist their hypnotic cries and resist eating their poisonous fruit in order to save Laura. Even though I may seem like a dainty young lady, I have the heart of the bravest man because I would sacrifice my own well-being if it meant I can save Laura from the goblin mens horrible curse.
Editorial Commentary: Queen Elizabeth I’s quote from her Tilbury speech is empowering to all women, especially women from before the Victorian Era and into it as well. Under the queen's command, England defended itself from a Spanish invasion, proving a woman can lead a country and army just as well as a man can. Queen Elizabeth I famously said in her speech “I know I have but the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart of a king…” Elizabeth I (1588) Elizabeth I acknowledges she is a woman and during this time period, women were seen as wives and responsible for running the household. A woman running the country and the country’s army was unheard of before. She stereotyped herself as appearing “weak and feeble” but countered the stereotype by describing herself as having a “heart of a king”. The Queen knows her people assumed she was a dainty woman who could never do anything a man could do, but she proved them wrong by leading their army to victory as well as any king, or man, could do. This speech empowers women by telling them that even if people see you as a weak woman, you can do anything a man can do if you set your heart and mind to it. This also applies to women finding work out of the house; do not let the fact you are a woman discourage you because even though men and women look different on the outside, they can both achieve and excel at the same things they set their minds to.
Citation: Elizabeth I. Elizabeth's Tilbury Speech. 1588. British Library, 2020.