James I succeeded the last Tudor monarch, Elizabeth I, in 1603. James at the time of Elizabeth’s death was king of Scotland. He was also the nearest blood relative to Elizabeth. James was a Stuart– so Tudor England died on March 24th 1603 while the accession of James ushered in the era of the Stuarts. In Scotland, James never had full control of the country. Scotland was seen as ungovernable in parts – governed solely by the clans. James was proclaimed king of Scotland in 1567 – aged 1 – after the enforced abdication of his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots. His education was Puritan based and he was pushed very hard by his teachers George Buchanan and Peter Young. However, James became fluent in Latin and French and competent in Italian. In his early years, James developed a great desire for knowledge but it also gave him an over inflated idea as to his own worth as an academic. He believed that he was capable of out-arguing almost anyone. It was a character defect that was to bring him into conflict with the English Parliament and it was his inability to accept that others might be right that was to provoke many strong reactions in London. James was a fervent believer in the Divine Right of Kings. He had a high opinion as to his academic ability. He also held in high regard his ability to be a king. In Scotland, he had faced a lawless society where many lords simply ruled as they wished in their own area. By the time of his departure for London in 1603, James had done a great deal to tame the Scottish nobility and this had greatly boosted his own belief in his ability to be king. He described himself as “an old experienced king, needing no lessons.”
James was not wholly unsuccessful as king, but his Scottish background failed to translate well into a changing English society. He is described, albeit humorously, in 1066 and All That, as such: "James I slobbered at the mouth and had favourites; he was thus a bad king"; Sir Anthony Weldon made a more sombre observation: "He was very crafty and cunning in petty things, as the circumventing any great man, the change of a Favourite, &c. inasmuch as a very wise man was wont to say, he believed him the very wisest fool in Christendom." Her successor, James I (1603-1625), the first of the Stuart family to reign in England, seemed a poor thing compared to Elizabeth. He was neither heroic nor attractive. Small and plump, with thin legs, rolling his eyes and an over-large tongue, he seemed older than his thirty six years. Probably this was due to illness, for he suffered from piles and diarrhoea. His personal habits were revolting. He dribbled, picked his nose and often made himself sick through over-eating. He wore extra padding in his clothes in case anyone attacked him. It was hard to believe that his mother, Mary Queen of Scots, had been so beautiful.
However, in other ways James was a suitable successor to Elizabeth. Like the Tudor Queen he was well educated. He was a biblical expert and the author of books on monarchy, witchcraft, sport and smoking. Only his fear of black magic was unworthy of a learned man.
The greatest problem of James' reign (and that of his son, Charles) was that he believed in the Divine Right of Kings. This had been a commonly held view since the middle Ages. Kings were appointed by God from above and had supernatural powers. If anyone dared to question a king then he was questioning God: This amounted, in fact, to blasphemy. Even if a king behaved badly no one could criticize him; only God, in his own time, could punish him.
Witchcraft
Witch-hunting was a respectable, moral, and highly intellectual pursuit through much of the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, though thousands of witches were burned on the Continent, relatively few witches were executed during Elizabeth's reign--as in so many things, she avoided extremes. But King James (who came to the throne in 1603, and who
British history (1550-1650) James I The history of England has been written by its many leaders, some good, some bad and some as unsuccessful as James I. The misfortune of James I was set early, “...the events of the first 2 years of James’s reign in England serve to ‘set the stage’ for growing conflicts... James had decisions to make in the areas of foreign policy, domestic religion, finance, and, in the broadest sense...governmental theory.” (James I). James’s largest mistake was treating the…
political context in which it was written, as that is the key to the main theme of the play, which is that excessive ambition will have terrible consequences. Shakespeare was writing for the theatre during the reigns of two monarchs, Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. The plays he wrote during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, such as A Midsummer Night's Dream, are often seen to embody the generally happy, confident and optimistic mood of the Elizabethans. However, those he wrote during James's reign, such as…
King James I was the first Scottish monarch to use a unicorn, a symbol of purity, as part of his coat of arms. It is now part of the present-day coat of arms of the monarch. Horn is the code word for kingdom. 1. What does the lion represent Why would the rulers of England include so many of them on the Coat of Arms The 3 lions represent England. 2. What does the fleur-de-lis represent Why is it featured on the Coat of Arms of British rulers The fleur-de-lis represents the country, France. Its featured…
Why should we preserve biodiversity on Earth? (T/I) 5. List various strategies we can use to preserve biodiversity on Earth. For each strategy discuss an advantage and disadvantage. (APP) Method | Advantage | Disadvantage | | | | | | | | | | HOW DO WE CLASSIFY LIFE? | 6. Indicate which definition of a species (biological (reproduction), morphological (shape) or phylogenetic (DNA)) is illustrated in each example. (T/I) Example | Type of Species Concept (Biological…
chaos and destruction. Jacobean Beliefs on Witches and Witchcraft It is likely that Shakespeare wrote Macbeth with the views of his King – King James I – in mind. Witchcraft had been a topic of interest for English monarchs for many years. Henry VIII and his daughter, Queen Elizabeth, both passed Acts, defining witchcraft as a felony. King James I, however, took a particular interest in the topic and saw himself as somewhat of an expert. He supported the view that those who had practised witchcraft…
Year 13 History: Tudor/Stuart England James I Resource Interpretation: Different Viewpoints on James. Source B Sir Anthony Weldon was dismissed from James’s Court for writing negative comments about the Scottish in A Description of Scotland . The comments in extract I come from The Court and Character of King James I , published in 1650, which is also famous for the description of James as “the wisest fool in Christendom”. The assessment made of James in this work was accepted by historians for the next several hundred years…
forward LeBron James said Friday that criticism of his comments about the hard intentional fouls he encountered Wednesday night didn't faze him. "I actually didn't know anything about people's responses," James said. "I don't care what other people's responses are." Carmen and Jurko Podcast Bulls forward Taj Gibson said he was surprised LeBron James complained about the Bulls' fouls after the Heat's win streak was snapped at 27 at the United Center. More Podcasts » James was on the receiving…
2/28/2014 Abstract James Grunloh, sales representative for Appleton Office Supplies Company, has just entered the office of Bob Croze, office manager for Old Orchard Candle Makers. James, who has just graduated from college and has since started selling for Appleton, is dressed in a two-piece brown suit. As James enters the office, Bob, a large man around 50 years of age, sits behind a large wooden desk, with his arms and legs crossed. James: (walking around Bob's desk to extend…
Book of James I read the book of James and was astounded at how much I learned in such a short period of time. James encourages us to rejoice in Christ and to persevere. The main themes prevalent in this book which are wisdom, faith, trials, speech and wealth, all pertain to us today and we can use the information this book gives us to benefit from it. The book’s structure, purpose, characteristics, and history really helped teach me how to deal with the trails and temptations we as Christians…
ready the earth is for inhabitants again, and weapons to defend themselves. This is where the real story begins. “Now James, calm down. If we are chosen it will be alright. I’m pretty sure that we won’t, but if we do it’s only going to be a year.” John told his son James. “I know Dad, but what if we do, I don’t think I’m ready for it. We have been training and everything but I don’t know how to use the tools.” “Look, you just turned old enough to go, 15, right? Yes, so just chill out. Plus they…