Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Undergraduate Honors Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Department
History
Advisor/Committee Chair
Micheal Taylor
Abstract
On May 28, 1555, Dr. John Dee was arrested and taken to one of the most infamous prisons in British history: The Tower of London. He was arrested under suspicion of violating the Treasons Act of 1534, which outlawed predicting the death of the monarch, the consort, and any heirs. Why would an Oxford-educated, catholic man of the gentry possibly risk death in predicting the outcome of Queen Mary I’s pregnancy? Because Lady Elizabeth, the heir presumptive, hired him to do so.. This fourth month-long incident was Elizabeth I’s first forte into the realm of political magic, and it almost certainly would not be her last. Her relationship with John Dee would span decades, and her early reign would also be plagued with pretenders and potential usurpers using magic to target her and her reign. In turn, she would use the law to target those who targeted her.
Recommended Citation
Whitehead, Aiden, "The Occult and Elizabeth I: How the Virgin Queen Used Magic As a Political Tool" (2024). History Honors Program. 38.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/history_honors/38