#zetian is my new role model | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

elizabeth-karenina · 7 years

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Okay so: 1,7, 11, 26 and 56 (HOW COULD I NOT ASK THIS ONE???)

Thank you, Jen! I love you so much for this.

1. Historical role model?

My historical role model will forever and always be Queen Elizabeth I. That is so damn cheesy, I know, but you have to understand. Elizabeth I is what got me into history in the first place; I read her Royal Diary when I was nine, and after reading about all the emotional abuse she had had to endure by the time she was 25, and how she went on to pretty much being the most bad-ass queen of England ever, well, how could I not want to follow such an example? She inspired an age of discovery, of learning, of the arts. If I were a queen, I would want such a legacy tbh. And not only that, but she proved every single fucking naysaying man wrong with her courage, her wit, and her overall bad-assery. Elizabeth Tudor for all time, ladies and gents.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my other historical role model, Catherine the Great. Where does one even begin with Catherine? This woman, at the age of 14, willingly went into a situation where she married for power instead of love. But in doing so, she gained independence and power that was unimaginable for any woman at the time, and she wasn’t afraid to exercise it. In addition to her courage and ambition, what impressed me most about Catherine was her intelligence. She constantly read book after book her entire life; she never wanted to stop learning everything she could. It inspired me to want to improve my mind, and to not be bashful about my intelligence and capability. What a woman.

7. Which time period would you like to live in?

There are five time periods that I’d like to explore. The first of which would be ancient Egypt, either during the reign of Hatshepsut or Cleopatra VII (omg imagine living in Alexandria AND SEEING THE LIBRARY hell freaking yes, I’d have to go here). The second one would be Tang Dynasty China. SO MANY BAD-ASS WOMEN RUNNING AROUND, the baddest and toughest of which was Empress Wu Zetian. It was also China’s golden age in art, crafts, literature, and culture, and they were very open to different culture’s and their trends. The fifteenth century is another time period dear to my heart, particularly WoTR England and Renaissance Italy. The eighteenth century would also be another stop; the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the Napoleon, all within 50 years of each other? You know I gotta be there. And the last one I’d go to is World War II America or Europe. It must have been a crazy yet awe-inspiring time to be alive; not to mention, everything that the world is and does today is the direct result of this conflict. It changed everything.

11. Favorite biography?

I CAN’T CHOOSE JUST ONE I HAVE TOO MANY FAVES YOU CAN’T MAKE ME I REFUSE

However, right now I am reading the Richard Ellman biography on Oscar Wilde, and so far it is such a wonderful and witty read. You almost feel like you’re reading a novel, mostly because there are moments when you honestly can’t believe Oscar was a real person. That someone this extra, this witty, this talented, this iconic was truly a real being is amazing to me. This is also has nothing to do with the fact that I endorse The Aesthetic lifestyle, LOL.

However, A Royal Experiment, Aristocrats: Caroline-Emily-Louisa-and-Sarah Lennox, Uncrowned King: Prince Albert, Romanov Autumn, Alexander Hamilton, Mozart’s Women, Richard III: The Great Debate, Isabella: The Warrior Queen, and A Team of Rivals are also favorites of mine, and I’d recommend them wholeheartedly.

26. Do you think we’re going to repeat history because we haven’t learned from it?

You only have to look around at what’s going on internationally to see and realize that humanity truly never learns from history. Turn on any news channel today and you’ll see. As the Greeks would’ve said, we are living in interesting times right now.

56. Opinion on Richard III?

YOU’RE NOT FUNNY, JEN. I SEE YOU SNICKERING.

Don’t get me started, I could hold forth on this homie for a good two hours. If you’ve been following my blog for the past four years, you know. YOU KNOW.

The guy is my favorite king of England. Do I think he was, on the whole, a genuinely good man with good intentions? Yes. Do I think he was perfect? No. Did he make mistakes? Yes. Do I think he killed the Princes? Idk. It’s very likely that he ordered their deaths, but considering the shady climate of the WoTR, Richard certainly wasn’t the only one to have had a motive. It’s always going to be up for grabs, really.

In summation: he was an earnest, nerdy, intellectual, serious man who digged music, hunting, books, his religion, and his family. He could kick your ass in a fight, even with his scoliosis. He valued loyalty, piety, learning, honor, and valor. He seemed to be a rather anxious person (the evidence of teeth-grinding in his skull could be taken that way), and could make rash decisions (Will Hastings).

But at the end of the day, he wanted to stabilize the country after the 20+ years of family infighting gone wild. He made laws and institutions that gave poorer people an avenue to air their displeasure or grievances directly to him. For all that he was a king, he still treated people–poor people as well as rich ones–fairly, and was completely on keen on doing so whenever possible.

BASICALLY I REALLY LIKE AND ADMIRE THE MAN DON’T SWEAT ME

#my history people #Elizabeth responds to things

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