MovieChat Forums > Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) Discussion > Elizabeth's Speech to the Troops

Elizabeth's Speech to the Troops

posted 8 years ago by thethingy23
2 replies | jump to latest

Why on earth didn't they use the actual speech Queen Elizabeth gave to her troops? It was already awesome, and I think fit in with the themes of the movie more than the watered down, reworked BS in the movie.

Here's the text for anyone unfamiliar:

'My loving people

We have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit our selves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery; but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear. I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust.

I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field.

I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and We do assure you on a word of a prince, they shall be duly paid. In the mean time, my lieutenant general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over these enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.'

I mean, c'mon.

[–] lynnrnsd 7 years ago

Hear, hear. It was perfect.

[–] swanstep (2628) 7 years ago

@thethingy23. Agreed, the decision to essentially ignore one of the few great, verified speeches by any pre-19C leader, one that's rated especially highly by Feminist historians, in favor of vaguely Lord-of-the-Ringsy mumbo-jumbo is unfathomable. It's hard to believe that screenwriter William Nicholson would have sanctioned this. I conjecture that this must have either been a brainless director-driven, on-set rewrite or the result of a studio-enforced note from producers to make the speech more 'St Crispins Day-like' or even more like some of the Iraq war-rhetoric of the time. I'd further bet that Blanchett wasn't amused; she doubtless would have been attracted by the authentically Shakespearean aspects of Elizabeth I's original speech.