As change of pace I decided to read The Queen’s Fool. I have read Philippa Gregory’s books before, and
I’ve always been impressed. The Queen’s
Fool was no different; it was very real, poignant, and managed to convey
the true depths of human emotion.
The Queen’s Fool (TQF)
is a companion to The Other Boleyn Girl
(TOBG), which is a well-known best seller that was recently made into a
movie. TQF features a lot of the same
families that we saw in TOBG, as it
is set in England just after the reign of Henry VIII. To very succinctly sum it
up, this book follows the succession of first Queen Mary I and then Queen
Elizabeth I, as told through the eyes of the court fool, Hannah Green.
While it has the makings of all good historical fiction,
(history, intrigue, heartbreak, romance etc.), what I really want to focus on
is women’s roles in the mid 1500’s.
Power Dynamic’s in
16th Century Relationships
While I did just give a summary of TQF, you should completely disregard it. This book is really about
power dynamics in 16th century relationships. In my humble opinion,
the reason this book is able to so successfully portray these dynamics is
because it is set at such a turning point in history. Elizabeth I was about to
take the throne and become the first queen to truly rule in her own right. The
world was battling over religion, and fighting the old conventions (the sun revolves
around the earth, the earth is flat, god created everything in seven days).
Basically everything was tossed up into the air, and people were beginning to
re-write the rules.
Throughout the whole book Hannah fights against the
traditional conventions of women. She wears breeches, she is educated and she
doesn’t want to marry. There are several men in her life that influence her.
There is her father; the supportive role that wants to see her happy but also
wants her safe. There is Lord Robert, who seduces her and wants to use her to
do his bidding. But, at the same time he introduces her to a new world where
power is yours for the taking if you’re willing to sell your morals for it.
Finally, there is Daniel, her betrothed, who wants to love her, but on his
terms, where he is the man, and she is the woman, and where she will honor and
cherish him as her husband and head of the household.
Hannah’s struggle to find her own balance between
independence and duty is mirrored in the opposing forces of Mary and Elizabeth.
Mary is the traditional side. She longs for love and ends up dying from grief
when it is not returned. She abandons who she is and what she wants for the
love she needs. On the other hand, there is Elizabeth, who craves nothing but
her own power. She uses every relationship to further her own gains. Her
independence is all she has, and she twists everyone around her to keep it.
Hannah is suck in the middle of these two women. She loves
and admires them both. Lord Robert once said that she is so desperate to love
and be loved that she is on all sides at once. In a way I agree with him, she
is on all sides at once, but because she does not know her own mind. For most
of the book she is trying to figure out who she is, independent of her father,
her betrothed, and her lord.
I think that Mary and Elizabeth essentially show two sides
of Hannah’s personality. Mary is the honorable, steadfast side and Elizabeth
the quick witted and independent side.
Lasting Relevance
The thing that really struck me about this book was the
lasting relevance. It was set in the 1500s, but I think there is still a lot to
be said about the way Hannah struggles to rectify wanting to be loved and
cherished, but still live her own life. I’ve often thought that the ideals of
men and women, and changing modern values, are so conflicting that they are
basically incompatible.
Take men’s roles for example. Men are supposed to be in
control and collected during every situation. They are supposed to not need
directions, instinctively know how to build something, and handle times of
crisis with assured self-confidence. Yet at the same time, modern vales say
they are supposed to always respect their wives/girlfriend’s opinions. They are
supposed to be dominate, but always adoring and respectful. When you add the
fact that women are excepted to be emotional and easily frightened, this task
basically becomes impossible. How can you except a man to be the head of his
family but never talk down to those he’s supposed to control? How can you
except a woman to take her place in modern society when she is expected to need
a man’s support? All of these tasks are totally impossible. Which leads me to
my next question. If the old ways don’t work, and the new ways aren’t yet
accepted, then what are we supposed to do?
In this moment I totally, and completely, relate with
Hannah. And Mary. And Elizabeth. Just as I’m sure the men out there can relate
to Hannah’s father, and Daniel, and Lord Robert. I simultaneously want to feel
taken care of, coveted and totally independent. This is not possible. I’m sure
then many men want to know their families are safe, their masculinity is
unquestioned, and their wives/love ones are happy. This is probably more
possible, but still very hard.
We all struggle to balance society expectations with our own
wants and needs. Enough said.
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