Glenda Jackson as Elizabeth I

[loggats]

a wicked woman who doesn't deserve the artistry wasted on her by later generation

[dejablue18]

i'm so bored out by how actors who play as nobles in old period dramas talk like robots, like really this is how they talk. or again is this a movie age gap i'm seeing. the actors' faces are not as zoomed in as they are in recent period dramas so they're facial expressions don't stand out as much

[dejablue18]

ok so without any rude comments. can anyone here tell me here if english noblemen really spoke to each other the way they're portrayed in really old period dramas. i noticed that in newer period dramas such as pride and prejudice, elizabeth by marie anne duff and becoming jane actors in those movies are more expressive. is what i'm seeing a difference in movie acting style. like 50s actors are over the top expressive if you compare them to current movie actors.

[eriquerique]

@dejablue18 Old period dramas were highly influenced by theatre. And in theatre, speech has to be somewhat over-enunciated and dramatic. It's just the style back then. It could also be said that in theatre centuries ago, writers would make sure that royal characters should speak and act significantly different compared to commoners (in an almost satirical way, to emphasize the fact that they come from a 'different' world). That's how I see it.

[eriquerique]

@dejablue18 Also, you don't have to be 'bored' of how actors in the olden days act. Acting, very much like language, culture, and every aspect of human existence is a fluid, evolving art form. Most films, in the past and present, are made based on norms that are prevalent at the time. So it's not that e.g. 2010 period dramas are more accurate in interpreting the speeches, it's just that 2010 films are made based on how people in 2010 would naturally act. Otherwise it would alienate the audience.

[eriquerique]

@dejablue18 As for English noblemen, it COULD be said that they did speak in a formal, regimented manner. This is true in Elizabethan times, and also somewhat true in present age. You see, noblemen, especially royals, think that every word that comes out of their mouths carry a certain weight and importance, which was somewhat akin to God speaking through them. Therefore they take speech mannerisms very seriously and would speak in a manner befitting the gravitas of their words.

[GCmediacourse]

Glenda jacksons Elizabeth I is the best. the Cate Blanchett Elizabeth films are shit because there completely inaccurate and starnge she becomes a god at the end of both films.

[sttar1982]

HER MAJESTY <3

[bookworm1138]

i don't care much for this Elizabeth. she's too...villainous to be admired or looked up to. personally, anne-marie duff and cate blanchett can be, at the same time, powerful and imposing yet 'nice' enough that you feel for them

[Cissy2cute]

@bookworm1138 - Actually, this portrayal is probably the closest to what the actual Elizabeth I was like. Not villainous, but strong-willed and aggressive. Remember she was a female ruler in a man's world. She had to separate her heart from her head; something which was very painful for her to do. Her dedication to her belief that she was divinely ordained to rule was exemplary. And her devotion to England has never, IMO, been equaled either before or since.

[Strefanasha]

and so i threw down in disgust Augustine's book City of God, cf 5:30 here when it opend with an argument i deemed totally irrational..

and had the Queen rebuked me as she rebuked Drake (was it Drake?) earlier i would have fallen on my knees.

Did they not know whose daughter she was?

WHAT A QUEEN!!! and what a performance by Ms JAckson!!!

[sommerjoy2000]

This woman was her father in print. Glenda really is my No.1 favorite Elizabeth indeed! I love both Henry VIII and Elizabeth. The tudor dynasty was one that was a great but damn near dangerous one. Just imagine if there was an heir? :)

[kendahke]

what would be a real treat is to see all of these actors recreate this scene today--as they are about the ages today that they are playing in this scene. I don't know if the actor playing Howard, Burleigh and Walsingham are still alive, but the ones playing Bess, Leicester and Essex are.

[kieran196]

This today is STILL great!

[emmers57]

Glenda Jackson just kicks ass!!!

[handsome102180]

Whoa! I just watched this episode today on Netflix (Episode 5) and came upon this by accident! Great performances by all involved!

[peterphan221166]

SHE IS THE BEST ELIZABETH EVER!



[RedDeadRevolva]

what an unoble person this elisabeth was she killed the true england in favor of her own power ..what an shame

[kendahke]

@RedDeadRevolva you'd have done the same given the exact same circumstances. Self preservation is the strongest drive in a human.

[RedDeadRevolva]

@kendahke only if i wud be her ...but iam an other person ...what u say about self preservation is absolutly correct of course

[John081590]

..."Do not think that you can trick me! I have such cunning that if I were turned out of my kingdom in my petticoat, I will prosper anywhere in Christendom!"

How epic. Love it!

[emmers57]

I always figured Elizabeth the 1st was probably a bitch, and damn it, if Glenda Jackson didn't pick up that ball and run with it!

[brontewcat]

@emmers57 She without could be a bitch, but she was much more than that. She also loved her people and gave up much for them - including probably her own personal happiness.

[happybkwrm]

@emmers57 Of course she was! She'd have been eaten alive if she showed any weakness!

[md991free]

@emmers57 A woman in power during that era had to be smart, quick and diplomatic all at once. If not, they would have devoured alive.

It was a tough time for powerful women, even those lucky enough to have been born into the royal bloodline.

[elisabethkohler33]

@md991free amen well said.....could not have said it better

[mxylpx]

Jackson IS Elizabeth! God's Death and so shall she be..all others are mere pale ghosts and feeble usurpers. What a masterpiece!

[snipesHE91]

All the woman who played Queen Elizabeth 1 were great on acting.lol Its great and brilliant.

[Varese13]

@CandlesInADaze

I was referring to Glenda Jackson, who is a member of Parliament and has been for some years. I am, of course, well aware that Elizabeth the First lived in the 16th century.

[dog321cat]

Cate Blanchett totally copyed her perfomance.

[1zwitser]

wauw!!

[happybkwrm]

Ah... men to command, a friend to comfort, enemies to crush... it's all in a day's work for Elizabeth.

[Messylin]

Glenda Jackson BRILLIANTLY tapped into her northern woman/working class roots to bring us the definitive Elizabeth Tudor - a monarch who had her finger on the pulse of the english people, who knew them inside/out, personified their character and pride.

[324wilson]

Amazing performence!

God, I love our history, our Monarchy and our Royalty!

[BlondeBardie]

Elizabeth really kicked some Spanish butt when her navy defeated the Armada, didn't she?.

[MelinaPendulum]

@BlondeBardie Well to be fair she won by luck

[Varese52]

I wonder if she gave Tony Blair as much trouble in Parliament as she gives to her ministers as Queen in these excerpts. I agree, however, that she is the Elizabeth the first for the ages, pace Bette Davis and Helen Mirren.

[CodyC6969]

Glenda Jackson was the best Elizabeth!

[CandlesInADaze]

@Varese52 Uhm...I don't think she lived long enough to even know Blair existed...about 300 years not long enough...

[brontewcat]

@Varese52 I rather like the idea of Glenda quoting soem of Elizabeth's speeches to Blair. Maybe she could drag up some of the shades of Elizabeth with Nick and David in the debates

[Feisty1967]

Glenda was brilliant in this role, fantastic actress. Have you got the death scene? I remember seeing it as a child.

[Nancyferrojr]

Ach, you skipped the interaction btw E and Dudley.

[alexandrakl]

4:42 to 5:32 --my favorite little bit in the whole series. I love Blanchett, I love Mirren, I love Davis, I even love Dench's relatively short screen time in Shakespeare in Love, but Glenda Jackson *is* Elizabeth to me.

[elinheartstristin]

i like this version of elizabeth I better than any other. this one is more believable since she was the queen. this is what she had to be like to survive and not let some man trick her out of her rule.

[jaysmic24]

this series is awesome used to watch it on PBS

[elinheartstristin]

@jaysmic24 how was elizabeth II and queen victoria related to elizabeth I ? and the recent royal family, are they in any way related to the tudor dynasty? some of them claim to be, but elizabeth and mary and edward were the last tudors. they had no children.

[Paules8460]

@elinheartstristin

The current Royal family is descended from Mary Queen of Scot's son James I of England ( =James VI of Scotland), who was taken from his Catholic mother and raised as a Protestant. Mary Queen of Scots was a cousin once removed from Elizabeth I . (Henry VII was their common ancestor.)

So, tho' Mary Q of S was never queen, all monarchs since have been descended from her. You can wikipedia "british royal family" for further info.

[elinheartstristin]

@Paules8460 i did just that. and thanks for replying. :))

[calebcakes]

Yes, I think I first watched this back in the late 1970's when I was a teenager and fell in love with this drama! I did not realize then that Elizabeth I was actually Ann Boleyn's daughter. It was riveting because the screen play was so good! The costumes were magnificent with such attention to detail. I was looking to re-watch this for years and then finally found it on You Tube.

[RoninOtter]

Glenda and Robert are two wonderful actors.

[KateFan]

Wonderful series, Elizabeth R. I have the entire set on DVD, it's one of my prize possesions.

[TheChickadee8]

Mine, too. I also have the six wives of Henry VIII, and Anne of the thousand days. I love all those movies and the series- they just don't make really great stuff like that anymore- sure wish they did nowadays. Maybe one day we'll get something really good on HBO or some other movie channel.

[linegenrou]

Whoa,did they scream like that at the queen?

[Jamestopboy]

@linegenrou Yes... do not forget, she yelled at them just as much... after all, she got her father's temper

[linegenrou]

@Jamestopboy lol I think that came more from her mother.

[TheChickadee8]

I love this episode! The dialogue is scrappy, lively and makes you laugh! And when Elizabeth is reading the book and starts swearing- God, what a woman! I love it when she yells at Ralegh and tells him she would do just as well in her petticoat... well, what could he say to that?Some of the best lines of the entire series is in this episode- love it!

[KateFan]

Magnificent, isn't she?! She was well known for her swearing - whenever she really lost her temper she really let fly!

[KateFan]

The lines about the petticoat she really did say, too.

[scribendi777]

Best Show ever

[evaperonfan]

Elizabeth- best queen ever!

[PrettyTigerlilly]

Her father= the worst king ever.

[spiegelhaus]

That's actually not altogether true. He was a capable politician and Elizabeth herself admired him greatly.

[KateFan]

And yet, Henry was a tyrant.

[farmerne]

I saw this series when it first came out on PBS. What I like so much about it is that the dialogue and speech is much closer to the Shakespearean type that would have been spoken at the time. Unlike the today's colloquial English that so many modern adaptations have in them.

[Patrick3183]

Glenda deserved her Emmy for this 200%!

[PumpkinIceCream]

her hairline is far back

[PadrethePio]

Yeah. Glenda shaved it. Dedicated actress.

[lamusicahera]

.... real great actors and an wonderful movie...

From which year is that ?

[coralarch]

Glenda- greatest screen Elizabeth 1 of all time.

[57monks]

ABSOLUTELY!!! Nobody comes close, fine as Helen Mirren and Anne Marie Duff were. I love Cate Blanchett but she lacked the gravitas. Think I'll watch the whole Glenda series againit's been some time. Your comment has motivated methanks!

[coralarch]

And thanks for the nice comment. Glenda played QE1 as an incredibly subtle and complex character, which she was. QE 1 has been my favourite historical person ever since I was 11 yrs old and just starting to study Tudor history. Enjoy the series- it hasn't aged a jot in the last 40 years!!!

[57monks]

Yes, she was a truly amazing and complex personality. She is also my favorite woman in history, and has been since I began studying Tudor History in college. I have always been annoyed by those historians who took a harsh view of her regarding Mary Queen of Scots, who in my opinion was a total jerk who deserved what she got. True, she was manipulated by those surrounding her, but she should have known better. Elizabeth reigns supreme! Vivat Regina!

[coralarch]

I never thought I'd meet anyone who despises Mary Queen of Scots the way I do. She had no idea how to rule and botched everything she did. Fancy marrying the man she claimed had raped her!!!!What people forget is that QE1 spared her wretched life for EIGHTEEN years!! Mary was a proven conspirator and yet QE1 was willing to let her live if she confessed. I agree- VIVAT REGINA!!

[57monks]

I suppose that living in our time has dulled our understanding of how powerful a role religion played in her time. ER was wise enough to look beyond it, but one would think that Mary QS would have learned something about how not to behave after growing up under the influence of the nut-job Catherine de Medici, and if she knew anything of her other cousin the miserable Mary Tudor. I am a calligrapher and book artist, and refer you to the splendid volume"Elizabeth I --- Her Life in Letters"

[coralarch]

She was indeed wise - I dare say that living under her mad sister's reign, she realised the stupidity of religious fanaticism and vowed not to make the same mistake. She did say that she wanted no window into another's conscience- very far-sighted for a 16th century ruler.Thanks for the mention- it's probably the only QE1 book I haven't got!!

[sonjaxfactor]

@57monks thank you for the recommendation.

[57monks]

@sonjaxfactor what recommendation???

[sonjaxfactor]

@57monks elizabeth r

[happybkwrm]

@57monks Mary should have learned from Catherine de Medici; unfortunately, she never did. She was raised to be a Queen Consort. Spoiled and coddled, she believed from her time in France that being a queen meant she could do anything she wanted and have few responsibilities. She didn't see the hard work and sacrifices her mother and Elizabeth made.

[evaperonfan]

yes, I agree. Despite my name, I prefer Elizabeth I.

[happybkwrm]

@coralarch I agree! I think it's only because Elizabeth was a woman and people still expect women to be kinder and gentler. Not to mention, somehow being less than competent is "womanly". And Mary fullfilled the "woman's role" and had a baby, which, to some, STILL makes her a better person than the woman who ruled her own country for 45 years. Elizabeth did NOT want to execute an "annointed" queen; she eventually realized that it was literally her life or Mary's.

[coralarch]

@happybkwrm Yes, you're right. Elizabeth was an amazing woman, able to charm, manipulate, bewilder and frustrate- all the while, she was keeping England safe from foreign rule. I think she's the best monarch England ever had. Mary was an ego-driven dimwit, and had her plots succeeded, we can only imagine the chaos that would have resulted. People moan about her fate- forgetting that Elizabeth protected her for EIGHTEEN years!! Yes, and executed her when there was NO alternative!

[Cissy2cute]

@coralarch - One of the best descriptions of Elizabeth I have read. Possibly one of THE greatest of monarchs-male or female-ever. Thank you for your insightful post.

[coralarch]

@Cissy2cute Thank you for those kind words. Elizabeth has fascinated me since I was 10 yrs old. I am now reading a wonderful book titled "Elizabeth's Women"- highly recommended!!

[sextyty]

she is supposedly la roux elly jackson's mom

[Glickerlips]

Guess what MY NAME IS GLENDA!

[AdArmand]

That's nice, dear.

[COYDOGBLUE]

wow, the dress she is wearing in this scene looks a great deal like the one worn in the Armada Portrait. Magnificent performance and costuming!!

[thirlestanelodge2]

It is the dress in the Armada Portrait. Cut and made by Jean Hunisett I believe. You can see the cut and construction of it in her book on Elizabethan dress.

[jaysmic24]

this is best production of elizabeth thus far. thought provoking interpretation of her story. I claudius and wives of henry VIII also very good from the 1970's.

[md991free]

I love her as Elizabeth I

[fifteenminutesfoever]

I LOVE this portrayal of Elizabeth sooooo much! it's my Favourite!^_^ I just love her!

[biko0909]

Few have tried. Still Glenda Jackson is still Elizabeth R. After all these years.

[324wilson]

Her performence as Elizabeth I is like performence of Helen Mirren as Elizabeth II.

[324wilson]

or even greater I must add!

[Thomestecles]

I agree. The greatest queen in history. And Glenda Jackson's portrayal, along with that of Bette Davis', is one of the best. Oh, Helen Mirren's as well. The most factual too.

[Emu666]

i love how she talks it just flows like water

[aeronuk1]

Probably the greatest potrayal of the Great Queen.

[AndromedaMariaCarmen]

Elizabeth- greatest queen in history

[chitchant]

Brilliant performance by Jackson.

ER II was a strong and noble sovereign

beloved by her people,

though not those of the Papist faith.

[AZYRIELLAVESTA]

do you not mean Elizabeth I not II

[chitchant]

Bien sur! I am so embarassed!

Thank you for that,

I was thinking of the fine BBC television series Elizabeth R.

[hagvcutadfu]

She was still Elizabeth 1st in that. what are you talking about?

[chitchant]

Yes, as you will see from the comment above yours, I was guilty of a typo. I corrected it to Elizabeth R, ie Elizabeth numero uno.

Am glad I did not live in Elizabethan times, or you guys would have me on the rack, then hung drawn and quartered.

[longerdaysdyings]

"papist faith", you rotten bigot. pipe down.

[Thor13332]

She was baaad!

[paixx12]

"i have such cunning that if i were turned out of my kingdom in my petticoat i would proper anywhere in christendom!" lol! now that's a classic line and a very good one.

[sashsashsha]

I love it when she yells, though they misplaced the petticoat quote. She said it to Parliament in the 1560s (1566, I believe).

[thedivinemisswhite]

I have seen every Elizabeth and Glenda Jackson brings more to this role than any before of after her.

Listening to the dialogue is like listening to a literary reading. Fabulous writing.

[starryian007]

A wonderful cast and superb dialogue. The best series on the period ever written. Glenda Jackson was born for this role.

[1shaydee1]

The BEST Elizabeth actress, ever!

You stepped through that answer like a barefoot child through nettles lmao

[AdArmand]

"SPAWN of an INFAMOUS COURTESAN!!!!"

[karkooooor]

glenda woooow my favorite actress she is gorgeous

[Jaihdev]

The only thing I don't like about this series is the Earl of Leicester. He was known as the Gypsy, for his dark looks, with tanned skin and BLACK hair. This Leicester couldn't be more opposite. Also, Leicester was much thinner, even in his old age. The Queen favoured those that were beautiful... when she was young her courtiers were all the good-looking women and men of the court. Leicester was also very athletic. They did a better impression, I think, of Leicester in the Helen Mirren adaption.

[jencalo]

i totally agree...Jeremy Irons was so much better even though he had grey hair.

[calispartan]

bitch is owning this role.

[Athene0712]

Can someone write down, what she is shouting behind the door? I hardly can understand it. THX a lot!!!

[pwstlws]

Sounds like: "God's death!"

and afterwards: "Jesu, the rogue!"

May need double checking.

[rukeyser]

jackson IS the queen. for those who appreciate that, i nominate Anne-Marie Duff in the BBC production: The Virgin Queen as her true successor.

[shakaz01]

dang dats one ugly elizabeth.. rofl

[Patrick3183]

She is THE Elizabeth I!

[ClarinetMadeofSteele]

Thank you for putting these up!

I have all these plays on DVD and it runs for 9 hours! I sit and watch it for a whole day!

[LadyAethelflaed]

why can't men nowadays dress like Essex?

[checkoutmyprofile]

Happy Birthday Glenda Jackson:)

[rjddurhamnc]

Before Cate Blanchett and Helen Mirren there was this........the definitive Elizabeth Tudor......in my opinion of course.......great stuff..........

[littlemisssunnydale]

I agree; I've seen many productions on this queen and whilst each actress gave a good performance in their own right, Jackson's portrayal was just superb and wonderful all around. I think people of my generation are used to Blanchett as Elizabeth, and she is a great actress. But whilst Jackson was unforgettable in 'Elizabeth R' (certainly after so many years we still remember her performance), I have a hard time remembering Blanchett's latest take on the queen in the new Elizabeth film.

[Spiritualized13]

Cate Blanchett is great as Elizabeth but Glenda Jackson gave the best performance of Elizabeth R. Elizabeth R is still fantastic now as it was back then.

[AngelusaRequiem]

yes, the second elizabeth movie was a tad bit disappointing... but I still love the way she delivered the line, "I too can command the wind, sir!"

[md991free]

@littlemisssunnydale Before I saw the series Elizabeth R, Cate Blanchett 1998 portrait of Queen Elizabeth was my favorite. Now, it is Glenda Jackson

[ekateri28]

The BBC video set is available at Rasputin stores. You can order this too on Amazon.

[mreese1]

I am American and we don't get this much over here so please post More PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!

[meho2525]

i love it! me and my boyfriend just love this bbc verson of Elizabeth!

[christinedaae87]

aah the armada dress very good recreation