Along with religious opposition, Elizabeth had to deal with her constant struggle of power that was opposed by those in society and government. Strong feelings of prejudice of women, also known as misogyny, rose during her reign leading to people denying her power. John Alymer, a friend of Elizabeth’s tutor shows the double of standard if women by declaring, “ if [Elizabeth] were a mere monarch, and not a mixed ruler you might peradventure make me fear the matter the more” (doc 4). Through this text it’s shown and implied that John Alymer only feels safe with Elizabeth’s ruling because Parliament can check and share power. Because of this, Elizabeth would have to fight against the sexist peoples of England to show her power. John Alymer somewhat…show more content… Instead Elizabeth responded with perseverance, devout loyalty to her country and her declaration of power. Elizabeth delivers a speech to parliament, which entails her proving her loyalty to England in 1559. She claims “ I have already joined myself in marriage to an husband, namely the Kingdom of England”. This statement shows how seriously Elizabeth took her rule over England. Instead of listening to others, like Parliament who suggested she should get married and share power, Elizabeth strictly claimed that metaphorically she was already married to her country, showing not only was she bonded by blood to the throne but by her own personal dedication. Her symbolic marriage would send a statement that Elizabeth felt, by herself, that she could govern her own lands correctly without a husband defying the ideas of gender and rule. Devout loyalty to England is shown through Elizabeth’s speech to her troops in 1623. Right before the invasion of the Spanish Armada, Elizabeth delivers the speech on the front with her troops in that she supports them deeply and is “ to live or die amongst you all: to lay down, for my God, and for my kingdom, and for my people, my honor and my blood, even the dust” (doc 12). Not only does Elizabeth show support on the front, when she easily could have stayed back home, but she desires and claims she will be at the front with them fighting until her own death showing the devout…show more content… This woman ruler was Maria Theresa of Austria who reigned after the death of Emperor Charles VII, alongside her husband Francis I. While most wives of powerful rulers wouldn’t have much power in ruling, Maria became the more prominent ruler compared to her own husband. Like Elizabeth she responded to her power with acting and imposing many influential things on her territory. Like Elizabeth, Maria was able to bring a golden age of Austria through her rule with administrative reforms, political stability, and more similar to the Elizabethan age. Such examples included her economic reform of reorganizing taxes, imposing education reforms for children and regulating payments of labor to the peasants. Maria started many reforms in political and economic fields. She was able to strengthen and adjust the Austrian army. Maria Theresa became the only woman ruler and last one of the Habsburg Dynasty. Both Maria and Elizabeth defied standards of gender in positions of ruling, Elizabeth marked the way with many more opposing her rule, showing that women have become some of the most influential in