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Blank Verse
Non-rhyming verse taking the form of iambic pentameter and used extensively in Elizabethan drama by playwrights like Marlowe and Shakespeare. -
Coronation
The ceremony by which someone is crowned king or queen -
Galleon
A heavy, square-rigged, sail-driven vessel favored by the Spanish in the Elizabethan period. The Spanish Armada was comprised of galleons. -
Golden Hind
Sir Francis Drake's ship, which he sailed around the world. -
Interdict
A form of papal censure and condemnation. An interdict strips a person or community of most sacraments and the right to Christian burial. -
Privy Council
The private council of the English King or Queen. Today, the Privy Council exercises no real power, but in Elizabeth's era it had great control over national policy. -
Spanish Armada
In 1588, Philip II of Spain sent this fleet to fetch his soldiers in the Netherlands and then invade England. Although it was supposed invincible, the Armada was defeated by the English navy. -
Tower of London
This royal fortress and residence served as a jail for important political prisoners (Elizabeth and Mary Queen of Scots were both detained there). The tower has also guarded important items such as the Crown Jewels. -
Act for the Preservation of the Queen's Safety
This 1585 policy was intended to quash conspiracies against the Queen, and was enacted in response to recent plots like the Duke de Guise Plot and the earlier Ridolfi Plot.
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Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity
These two acts, ratified together, were meant to settle religious conflicts: while the Act of Supremacy made Elizabeth the "Supreme Governor" of the Church, with the authority to make absolute decisions affecting religious practices, the Act of Uniformity restored, with some amendments, the Protestant Prayer Book that Mary I had banned.
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Babington Plot
Anthony Babington led this 1586 plot to overthrow Elizabeth and put Mary Queen of Scots on the throne. Mary was thrown into the Tower of London and subsequently executed for involvement in this plot, which Walsingham cleverly detected and exposed.
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Bond of Association
A 1584 decree by which Parliament forced all English men to sign a pledge that, in the event of Elizabeth's assassination, they would hunt down the culprit.
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Cadiz
This was the site of a devastating 1587 raid on the Spanish Armada, led by Sir Francis Drake; the name now also refers to the battle itself.
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Duke de Guise Plot
A 1582 Catholic plot on Elizabeth's life
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Ridolfi Plot
A 1570 to 1571 plot led by an Italian conspirator (Roberto di Ridolfi) to overthrow Elizabeth and install Mary Queen of Scots on the throne of England. The plot involved assassinating Elizabeth and using the Spanish Army to conquer the countryside.
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Sir Thomas Wyatt the Younger's Rebellion
In 1554 Sir Thomas Wyatt undertook a plot against then-queen Mary I; he intended to overthrow Mary's government and take control for himself, after marrying Elizabeth and thus legitimating his rule. When the plot was detected, Mary suspected Elizabeth of complicity and imprisoned her in the Tower of London.
