Notion myths ans heroes

Myths and Heroes

I am going to talk about the notion Myths and Heroes. First of all, what are myths and Heroes? A myth is either a story, like a legend, that is supposed to explain the origin of something or a person who embodies abstract notions. A Heroe, a heroine is a person who is exceptional because of his or her qualities or his or her actions. I will talk about this notion with the theme : English Queens. And we can ask ourselves, how far is monarchy a myth? And how far queens heroines ?

I. Elizabeth I

The portrait of Elizabeth I that we saw in class represents the high point of her reign. The painting symbolize the power of the queen during the defeat of the spanish Armada. In the portrait many elements represent power as the crown, the globe to show her desire for an empire, or even her dress which shows her authority. Behind the myth of the Queen, Elizabeth appeared power-hungry, determined, and ambitious, from a very young age, in a text that we read in class. She has always wanted to play a proeminent rôle and to rule other people. She has always had the personnality to be queen.

Can we now say that Elizabeth I was a heroine ? In some way, yes we can because she is up to her myth, as I said, she always had the personality to be Queen. She had a long reign, she defeated the spanish Armada, and her reign is the beginningof the Empire. She ives us a positive image of the monarchy.

II. Queen Victoria

Today, we mostly have an image of the queen as a widow in mourning wearing a widow’s bonnet instead of her crown. But in class we saw a painting of her a few years before her husband died. In the painting she is dress as in official ceremonies. The colors shows her power, the background represents London and shows her people that she is performing her duty in her office, she is a working girl and she even has paper in her hands. Queen Victoria is also known for a very special friendship with Abdul Karim, an Indian Muslim. It is difficult for a queen to have friends because of her position and the preasure of the Household. Yet, Victoria managed to have an unusual friendship  until her death. In class we read a text about this friendship. At first, Abdul was a gift from India, he started as a waiter and quickly became a friend of the queen. At the Queen’s funeral he walked with the royal family but as he was defenceless and alone without the queen, he was sent back to india. Victoria was very cosed to Abdul and wrote him letters every day. She also defended him against the Household because they hated him, afraid that Abdul had a bad influence ovr the Queen. After the death of the Queen, the Household burnt all the letters and sent Abdul back to India.

Queen Victoria can be seen as a heroine as she kept carrying frienship values even against the royal family, she considered Abdul as her son and had always kept an eye on him. Also her reign was remarkable because England was the richest country at her time thanks to India, also known as the Jewel in the crown.

III. Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II is the actual queen of england. Today, she is more likely to be a symbol but not just for England. She stands in the monarchy’s continuity and tradition despite all the changes in the world and in the royal family. She is a link with the past. She is up tp her duty but solitary and alone which makes us distant towards her people. Here’s one of her quote : « never explain, never complain ». In class we read a text from an author who imagined the queen reading. In this text, the Household doesn’t like the Queen’s reading because they think it goes against their effort to make the monarchy accessible, as it is an elitist activity. Moreover, they think she reads to pass the time. But the queen doesn’t read for that. She reads to find out what people are like and to have a shared, common experience, to be like any other readers. Elizabeth II has always been a woman of duty and she try to find pleasure out of her duty. Moreover, being unrecognize brings her pleasure. With the protocol that comes with her position, it is as the queen lived in jail. So being unrecognize would allow her to live like any other human being. This longing makes her more humane. Literature relates the queen to her people because it is an experience she could share with them, as books were not written especially for her. Reading makes her more humane.