Elizabeth I was a master manipulater. She had to be to succeed as a woman on her own during the era in which she lived. Lately in class we have discussed cross-dressing in Elizabeth's time (namely, whether on not she ever wore armor). Whether or not she actually wore the armor, it seems quite clear that at times Elizabeth did use sexual ambiguity to her advantage. In her own words Elizabeth said "I may have the body of a woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king," urging her subjects to disregard her weak and feminine appearance and to follow her as a figure of power. Susan Freye even mentions in her book that Elizabeth could at times make her voice seem deeper and more athoritative when it suited her needs--far more masculine than normally acceptable.

Feminine wiles were, however, just as potent a tool to Elizabeth as her steps into masculinity. She had her court fawn over her as if each member were her suitor, and when it suited her, she came off as being extremely fragile and delicate, if that was the best means to reach her ends.

I guess the point that I'm trying to make is that Elizabeth I was an extremely strong and intelligent leader in her time who used whatever means available to her to reach her end, even though she was at an automatic disadvantage because she was a woman and unwed. She used her wit and sexuality to stay on top no matter what the circumstances and was a woman ahead of her times; a lone woman who ruled for nearly half a century in a world that was solely for men.