Sara Stenger
Armchair Historian, single mom, caffeine enthusiast, Lectra Pattern Programmer, Philadelphia dweller, Lover of Tudor history, Anglophile, currently doing research in Oxford for Books I'm writing
Location United States
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Fantastically well organized and succinct, thank you!
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Knowing how to properly handle and store the artifacts.
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That's really fascinating. How did you get into it on an ammeter level? I'd love to do that.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I'm a bit of an armchair historian. My main focus of interest is The Plantagenet and The Tudor Dynasty. However, I feel this plays in nicely with the research I've been doing for a book I've started writing; especially with the discovery of Richard III in the car park in the last few years, I feel it would benefit me to get a bit of a base knowledge of...
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Archaeology is important because it helps us build a better understanding of our past and our ancestors. It helps solve mysteries of the who what why and where to things from the past that were previously unknown.
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Sara Stenger replied to Sara Stenger
@BrigidTarrel I'll add that to my list of places to wander when Im out there in April!
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@EdwardMcGrath Sad that history seems to repeat itself in certain aspects. :(
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I don't think so, it just seems like bunch of power hungry squabbling
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I think it was a cry for attention by a man used to getting his way. He felt underappreciated and overlooked and tried to force Elizabeth to pay attention to him and not the Cecils. Unfortunately it backfired.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I've read the book "The Black Tudors" so I'm not surprised by the near equitable treatment. I am surprised to learn that the law enacted in 1601 still has effects on modern relations with foreigners.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Growing up in the states we didnt read much in the way of political texts about England, I only really Had exposure to Shakespeare. I did read Beware the Cat which is from Edward VI's reign, but other than some of Marlowe's Prose I dont have much knowledge on the subject.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I think that on a lot of levels a lot of women are misrepresented in history. Any woman who was independent, a survivor, had her own wealth, refused to marry, or married for myopic/financial reasons without hiding the fact seems to get a bad rep. I think its just the social culture of the times. Any woman who acted in a way that would of been deemed acceptable...
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Sara Stenger made a comment
That was definitely a big factor.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Seems like the Tudor equivalent of Vietnam
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Sara Stenger made a comment
She was the longest and most successful Woman Monarch. She artfully navigated through a male dominated to court to become a powerful monarch at a time when it was considered unthinkable or unfavorable for a woman to have any kind of power. What was MOST important about her reign was the way that the view of a Female ruler had changed. It can be done and done...
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I would imagine it was extraordinarily significant given that Spain was one of the bigger Catholic practicing countries.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I really love the Ditchley Portrait, which I believe is in the National gallery. The symbolism portrayed in the portrait is really stunning. I got to see a Hilliard Portrait of her during a black tie Dinner at Jesus College in Oxford. It was absolutely stunning.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
It would of given the people a sense of autonomy and responsibility to the realm. It probably would of given someone the chance to have a voice in political matters that ordinarily wouldn't. There's something to be said about Uniting under varied perspectives.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Drake Brought Elizabeth wealth which helped secure her reign and her power in England. Drakes contributions lead to the security of England financially and he helped fend off Spain. I'd argue that her funding his career was instrumental to some of her successes.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Not very likely, too much religious upheaval and suspicion among the different monarchies. As they say, timing is everything and it just wasn't going to happen at this point.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I think it wraps up hot button issues of the time it was directed into some key events in Elizabeth's reign as do most films. So yes it both depicts history and distorts it to draw in viewers.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I'd say the Babington Plot, as it had the backing of several different powers of Europe. Plus if Mary Queen of Scots was in on it, she had a legitimate claim to the throne and a male heir.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
It is what kept her on the throne.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
No, I think this was a common past time. Plus Henry VIII was big on making his own medicinal mixtures, she may have picked up an interest in it from him.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I would imagine so she can maintain her control and show her power in order to keep others from rising up against her in the future.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I think she kept the Trump card by remaining unmarried.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I think its a little of Column A and and Little of column B. In the 1500's Women had to be a bit coquette to make advantageous marriages and connections. I think Elizabeth used this social norm to her advantage. And in turn the men of her court used it to further their station.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I've always seen her portrayed in movies as a tragic figure who Elizabeth is hesitant to dispatch with. Admittedly I know littler about her story. I bought the Antonia Fraser bio about her the last time I was in Oxford, but have yet to crack it open.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I believe that after she had her son she was much more of a threat, but I also believe that if the two women had met in person and formed an alliance that they would have only benefited both their countries.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Dudley was beneath her station and his family had already took the hit with two members being executed for treason. Even with all that aside Dudley was married to Amy who died under mysterious circumstances, a supposed "fall" down the stairs, which sparked rumors that he and Elizabeth had her killed.
Further more, I think Elizabeth learn from both Henry VIII... -
Sara Stenger made a comment
Virginity seems to be an anomaly in this play. On one hand the queen is respected for her ability to remain chaste and combat temptation; on the other the idea that the queen has not known the touch of a man seems unbelievable and strange.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I think she was very much Judged for her gender and had been so since her birth.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I prefer documentaries as a whole for accuracy. I enjoy most historical films as I take them with a large grain of salt. I view them strictly as entertainment and left open to interpretation. I'd say one of the few Historical pieces that I really could not stand in recent years was Reign.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Seems to be more Catholic than protestant in the beginning with massive amounts of grey area that couldnt really be policed.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
As with her half sister's reign there is a myriad of misogynistic undertones. I do not think the council would of dared this behavior under a King.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I think she knew from a very early age what power hungry men in a male dominated society were willing to do or say in order to get their way. I also think Katherine Parr was an amazing influence on Elizabeth as far as education and being a patron of the arts is concerned. I think that unlike Mary and Edward, she knew the importance of Politics over religion...
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Edward and Jane were too short lived to have been considered successful monarchs. I think that Mary we too wrapped up in honoring her mother's memory to effect any lasting change.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I think it was more of a blow to her personally than to her reign.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Shortsighted. Its only success was in scaring people into hiding, not changing their faith.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Beware the cat is another good example Political prose wrapped in satire. I think the book encapsulates how fed up the English people were with the constant back and forth of religious perspectives. He seems to poke some fun at the religious Idolatry and mindless rituals. I think he also uses cats to show the someone is always watching and listening so its...
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Mary's vision to restore the Catholic faith completely flopped due to the policies implemented during Henry's regime, as well as her penchant for burning heretics; something no doubt perceived as normal during her fathers reign.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I think England overall was majorly still Catholic. Or at least sympathetic to Mary's plight.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I didnt give Mary I much thought other than her infamos "bloody Mary" status until I read Mary Tudor by Anna Whitelock a number of years ago, she did a really great job of humanizing Mary and just how tragic her life was.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
The status of women in power does not surprise me. Women in the higher classes in England enjoyed a bit more equality. The women in the lower classes probably did not benefit much from a woman being in power.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I have a lot of sympathy for Mary who was simply a product of her raising and what she saw as normal going on around her. I don't think she's been judged very fairly for a number of reasons.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I think it largely depends on if you view Jane as a proper Queen of England. If you do, than the overthrow by Mary I was indeed a coup.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I think that its absolutely fine for a director to take creative license as film is an art form. However, I think its important to alert the viewer that liberties were taken for the sake of entertainment.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
It's important because it shows just how much gender mattered in terms of the monarchy and law making. If Jane had been a male and Edward named them the successor, no one would of questioned it. Because she was a woman, the laws set up by Henry the VIII were brought into question, and the legitimacy of their worth was changed.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
She was definitely a Queen. Henry VII gained the throne based on a shaky bloodline and Henry VIII made it a law that a monarch could choose their own successor. Jane's claim to the throne wasn't too much different than Henry VII. If Jane had been a male, and Edward had wrote in that they were to be the next monarch, no one would of questioned it. But, because...
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I think art in this context makes it seem more real, it also leads me to want to figure out what is accurate and what is artistic license.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Technically Henry VIII changed the laws in 1536 that the King had the right to choose his successor, so If you're talking legally then Jane is the rightful ruler.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I can't even imagine how confused and bewildered those poor people were by the constant whiplash between the traditional ways and the reformation.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Nice guys finish last. I think he was mostly well intention-ed and didn't have a problem with making tough and unpopular decisions for the good of the King and the finances. It's a shame that he became the scapegoat for placing Jane Grey on the throne, when it was Edward who altered his will. Its hard to defend yourself when you're dead.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I would imagine that because these rebellions were orchestrated by peasants for the most part, they were seen as little more than inconsequential skirmishes. It's only when you stand back and really take in the amount of rebellion and the reasoning behind it that you understand the importance of them.
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Sara Stenger replied to Sara Stenger
@ElizabethCopp God I love the Scots! Such a fun sassy bunch! I spend as much time in Scotland as I can when I travel to the UK. I can't understand anything they say but I always have a blast haha.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I think the portraits are intended to convey the security of the throne and the reformation under the new King. I think, the last portrait is the one that conveys this the best by its obvious nature. Edward is above the Pope, crushing him down, Henry is deferring to his son to rule and the council sits to the side, ready to do his bidding.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I think that Cranmer's changes to the the Mass, Prayers in English, changing the way Priest's dress and lightening up on idolatry, etc. would have been extremely radical. Obviously acceptance of many religions is mostly well tolerated now, however you still see a lot of religious debates over the way things are translated or carried out and its the 21st...
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I think some Protestants were opposed to religious imagery for a number of reasons. One being the slippery slope to Idol Worship, the ability to misinterpret or misrepresent an image as was common with the Latin bible, In part maybe it was more political in that they still didn't want the illiterate class to have any kind of autonomy in concerns with the...
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Not Really Somerset was a social climber and an opportunist.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
That of a social climber and an Opportunist.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Its hard to say what the young King was like despite having access to his own personal journal. I tend to agree with Rex's interpretation as stated in the last paragraph. To be honest, I haven't researched too much on Edward the 6th's reign.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Henry was a product of his times and his raising. To call Henry a Tyrant is a bit unfair. If we were to view things with an modern eye and our perspectives of modern day rights and laws, then Henry is an absolute psychopath. However, with the limited scope of the Tudor ideologies and religious understandings of the times, I think its more important to view...
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Poetry and Prose is an art form. Like any art form, it tends to be used to convey political messages; as well as blow off steam, convey ones' feelings, air grievances, protest, jest, convey harsh realities, etc. If done well, it can convey the intended message and entertain and provoke thought rather than insult. It seems that Wyatt and Surrey understood this...
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Obviously the skeletons are one of the more interesting things found on the Mary Rose, it reminds us of the fact that these aren't just stories these are people's lives. Of course the personal items are also quite eerie. As a few people have mentioned already, the article on the study of the remains is amazing and worth the read!
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I knew she was quite cunning and quick witted. I knew she was definitely a survivor based on her previous marriages and what all they entailed. I did not know that she was properly educated. It's nice to see her parents took an active role in having her educated.
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Sara Stenger replied to Sara Stenger
@VivienneBallard thanks for the link that article is fascinating! Thanks for sharing! <3
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I wrote a rather large research paper on King Henry's health history in college. Its still hard for me to pin down what I beleive ultimately caused his change in behavior. I think it is an Amalgam of things, I think the jousting accident caused damage to his brain, the perpetual pain in his ulcerated legs, the tincture/salve/"medical" ingredients, he more than...
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I think with the "me too" movements and the strides we've made towards Women's rights it would be in poor taste. I think its a bit disrespectful to the memory to the women who Henry victimized. In today's scope I think it would be viewed as politically incorrect.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I don't think the reformation would have taken place at the speed it did if not for Cromwell. He was a very cunning and intelligent Man. I'd say he was essential to the Reformation taking the shape that it did.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I've not seen either of these films, but based on the descriptions above, it sounds like I'm not missing much.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I don't think that Henry was over the loss of Jane Seymour, whom he held on a lofty pedestal for providing him with a male heir, I also think that Henry became accustomed to choosing his brides and lamented not having complete autonomy. It was also probably not in his favor that she was of nobility because he could not easily escape the marriage at his leisure...
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Quite succinctly, that Henry is the head of the church and supreme lord. He is the savior of his his subjects because he brought them the word of god.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
In my opinion, not very. It's more of an excuse for Henry to line the coffers and basically add insult to injury in terms of his dealings with the Pope. As stated above, he made 1 trillion pounds in today's money. It made him rich and more popular with the nobility who used it to fuel their own gain and purposes.
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I am aware of basic genetics, hence the reason that I stated medical historians believe this may be a possible answer. I',m merely discussing some possible hereditary connections of paranoia Unfortunately anything related to Henry's health history is going to be speculation. For all we know he could have of been bipolar. Kyra Kramer wrote an interesting book...
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Like any king, Henry wanted to show off his wealth, power, and prestige to other diplomats, his subjects, and other monarchs. He also had the strong desire to leave a lasting legacy and to become immortalized through what he left behind.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I think that we weren't given enough time to see what kind of queen Jane would have been as she died in childbirth. I think that Henry wanted someone obedient and subservient and that is what he got with Jane. Although Jane did make a few attempts to sway his judgment when it came to religious matters she lacked the wit and intelligence to stroke his ego and...
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Sara Stenger made a comment
It was absolutely a tragedy. It was also inevitable given Henry's nature and Anne's obvious wit and intelligence. I long believed Anne to be a victim of her time and what was culturally appropriate for women. I don't believe her to be the temptress she is made out to be, in a time where being coquette was how you found a husband or turned down an offer as a...
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Sara Stenger made a comment
It's essentially propaganda. Henry wanted his people and his court to believe in his autonomy, his ability as a leader, his legitimacy as head of the church, his ability to produce male heirs and the legitimacy of his rule as a Tudor. To my mind, this is tantamount to when an individual buys a souped up truck or a sports car. "Look at me, I'm successful and I...
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I think it successfully shows how mercurial Henry was to be around. I think it accurately shows that the court walked around on eggshells dependent upon his mood.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I think he would of believed any excuse that gave him reason to keep trying for a male heir. I don't believe he had any leg to stand on when it comes to the canon law argument he used. There was no excuse for his behavior towards Katherine. I think he knew how shaky the hold on the throne was without male issue.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Thomas More was a Politician who, unfortunately, had trouble navigating the theological waters objectively. No one is a saint we're all flawed, but I think Thomas did the best he could with the hand that was dealt him.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I think it helps in a way, to understand how and why politics is such a muddled mess. To look at More's actions from one perspective or the other, (political or theological) but not a mix of both does not give you the full scope of the the waters he was attempting to navigate. Humanistic principles and some of the practicalities that politics call for don't...
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I'm an atheist, so it would of been no skin off my back to sign the oath. Just for survival sake alone I'd be signing it.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Im going in May, and I CAN. NOT. WAIT. also any tips, noteworthy sites, points of interest from locals and those who have gone are most welcome.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Yes. I believe that many staunchly Catholic subjects feared for their souls and safety after the decimation of the abbeys and redistribution of the church's wealth. The Abbeys were there to provide saftey and alms to those who needed it, and that was now gone. Henry's reformation meant his subjects answered to him first not to god or to the pope.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Just as he did with Queen Katherine, I think he tried to justify a guilt free way to be rid of a woman who had failed to give him a son.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
1536 in general, was a massive turning point for Henry. Its the year of a mass amount of changes and when we begin to see the image of Henry that is so popular today. There is speculation that the fall caused frontal lobe damage, which resulted in the erratic behavior displayed the rest of his reign. Some medical historians believe he suffered from something...
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Sara Stenger made a comment
By all accounts, if Henry VIII did not notice her, she would have been lost to history. The fact that she was of noble birth and from a family of gentry matters very little in terms of record keeping and portraiture. It is very possible that much of her images may have been destroyed by Henry, much in the same way he attempted to move all evidence of her from...
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I'm looking forward to learning more about 1536, I've been doing a lot of research on this particular year.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I learned a lot more about Thomas Wolsey and the Duke of Buckingham than I had previously researched.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
If Henry had made Fitzroy his successor after Edward, Jane Grey's life may have been a lot different. The Tudor line may have been longer than a mere 118 years. I still think there would have been rivalry between him and Mary I that would have cause turmoil, however, the Tudor line may have lasted longer.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I view Edward Stafford as someone who was unable to play "the game" so to speak. In a way, he wore his heart on his sleeve when he felt he had been slighted. For example, Henry took Edward's sister as a mistress, the sister ended up in a convent after the affair was made public. This must have made Stafford even more embittered by adding insult to injury over...
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Nothing has changed. In the 1500's the extravagant events were used to display status. In modern times, material goods and clothing are used to do the same. Individuals also have large expensive weddings for the same reasons.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Wolsey came from humble beginnings (as did Cromwell). I believed he worked his way up the social and political ladder through being very observant, a quick study, and hard working.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Henry relied heavily on his council to run political matters. He spent much of his early reign pursuing pleasures, sports, and hunting. Katherine was far more politically adept, and military literate, as was Wolsey.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
No, I have read a few books on the subject, so Its not the first time I've heard about a person of African decent at the Tudor court.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Katherine is by far my favorite of Henry's wives. She was learned, strategic, shrewd and every inch regal. She was a woman of immense talent and intelligence. She often accompanied her parents on campaigns. She had immense amount of respect for those around her, and bravery not shown by any of the other wives in terms of standing up to a stubborn Henry.
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Sara Stenger made a comment
I adored the Tudors and watch it annually. I took it for what it was, historical fiction. I enjoyed the costuming and the character development
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Sara Stenger made a comment
Very much so. I find Henry to be a fascinating, multifaceted and complex individual. I've spent large amounts of time studying his medical history, the theory behind his behavior changes in his 40s, and his contributions to medical science.
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@MichaelMoller Thanks for the advice. I was not prepared for how big it was, I got very overwhelmed! I was intimidated by the underground last I was there, but I'll brave it this time for sure!
