The+Tower+of+London

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//Introduction //

The Elizabethan era refers to the time of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign of England –about 1550-1650, and was part of the English Renaissance. During this time period the works of Shakespeare, other playwrights, and the Elizabethan theatre became widely popular. Another significant part of the English culture during the Elizabethan era was crime and punishment. The most feared place of torture and punishment was the Tower of London. The history, design, and uses of the Tower are just a few key aspects about the historical landmark. //History //

Despite the misconception that the Tower was built by Julius Caesar, construction of the landmark was actually begun by William the Conqueror in 1066 (Olsen 540). The Tower was originally made of wood, but in 1078 it was replaced with a stone tower. Henry III and Edward I also had a great impact on the development of the fortress (Hynson 5). The White Tower was the first tower to be constructed and was completed in 1097 (Alchin). Over the course of years, the Tower's use changed greatly. Until the 1600's, the Tower was used as a residence for royalty (Andrews 128). In the following years, it was typically used to hold political prisoners, traitors, and other felons (Olsen 561 and Andrews 128). The Tower saw a lot of well-known victims during the year of 1554. Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VII, was sent to the Tower to be executed after the king accused her of false adultery (Hynson 28). Later, he sent his fifth wife to her death as well. In February, Lady Jane Grey was executed at the Tower for attempting to take over the throne. Even Queen Elizabeth I, now just a princess at the time, did time as a prisoner when her sister Queen Mary I suspected she was plotting to overthrow her. In 1591, Sir Walter Raleigh was sent to the Tower by the queen after he married one of her ladies-in-waiting without permission (Wright 50). In 1601, Robert Devereux, despite being a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I's, was executed at the Tower for treason (Wright 103). After Elizabeth I's death, James I was proclaimed king. In May of 1603, just before his coronation, he spent a few nights at the Tower. On September 15, 1613, Sir Thomas Overbury, a famous poet and essayist, was poisoned there by Frances Howard. Overbury's poem //A Wife//, which told of the characteristics a man should expect of a woman, was seen as an attack on the Earl of Essex's wife. Frances Howard (Lady Essex) had Overbury imprisoned in the Tower on false charges of treason and had him poisoned with sulfuric acid. Eventually, in 1642, civil war broke out between the king and Parliament. A permanent garrison was established at the Tower of London until the end of the war in 1649. During renovation of the White Tower in 1674, the skeletons of two young boys were discovered under a staircase and were thought to be the bodies of Edward and Richard, the sons of King Edward IV (Hynson 28). Before dying of a mysterious illness; the exact cause remains unknown, the king placed the youngsters under the care of his brother Richard, the Duke of Gloucester. Richard then placed Edward, who was twelve and next in line for the throne, and his brother in the Tower in 1483 (Hynson 28). Both of Edward IV's sons were found "illegitimate" and the duke was crowned Richard III. After the summer of 1483, Edward and Richard disappeared and it was widely rumored that Richard III had ordered them killed. Charles II sent the supposed skeletons of the infamous "Princes in the Tower" to Westminster Abbey to be properly buried (Hyson 28). To this day, tourists have reported seeing the ghosts of two young boys lurking around the Tower of London. // Design // The Tower of London sounds like just //one// tower, right? Believe it or not, the fortress actually consists of twenty-one towers that cover an area of eighteen acres. The Bloody, Beauchamp, Bell, Boyer, Brick, Broad Arrow, Byw ard, Constable, Cradle, Develin, Devereux, Flint, Lanthorn, Martin, Middle, St. Thomas, Salt, Wakefield, Wardrobe, Well, and White towers all make up the Tower of London. The Lion Tower was also a part of the fortress during the Elizabethan Era and was particularly popular for its zoo (Andrews 128). Royalty frequently went there to see animal fights (Hynson 15). The entrance to the Tower is a gate leading from the Thames River to the fortress and has been called "Traitor's Gate" since the early 17th century because of the infamous prisoners who passed through the water entrance (Andrews 128). // Uses // The uses of the Tower of London have varied immensely over the years. The original purpose of the Tower was to be a fortress to protect the king (Hynson 4), but it has also been used as an armory, royal residence, home of the Crown Jewels, public records office, Royal Mint, treasury, and even a royal zoo (Andrews 128). Although, the Tower of London is most famous for functioning as a prison. Ranulf Flambard, the Bishop of Durham, was found guilty of extortion and became the Tower's first recorded prisoner in 1100 (Hibbert 30). The majority of prisoners sent to the Tower were jailed for false crimes; usually because they had somehow angered the monarchy. The Book of Prisoners (actually multiple books) is a record of every prisoner's name, reason for imprisonment, and their fate (Hibbert 30). The books are stored in the Beauchamp Tower and have never been made public outside the Tower of London. A list of famous victims that met their fate at the Tower are: Sir Thomas More, Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, Sir Walter Raleigh, Henry VI, Guy Fawkes, and even Sir William Wallace, the famous Scottish hero. The Tower of London saw a fair amount of pirate executions and was used as a prison as recently as World War II.

//Conclusion // The Tower of London is proof of the dark side of English history. Hundreds upon hundreds of innocent people were killed within the Tower's walls and because of this, many consider it to be the most "haunted" place in England. The Tower of London is not only one of the most renowned tourist attractions in the United Kingdom, but is one of the most important landmarks in history.

Works Cited Alchin, Linda. “The Tower of London.” //Castles//. N.p., 20 July 2005. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. . Andrews, John F., ed. //Shakespeare’s World & Work//. Vol. 3. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2001. Print. Hibbert, Christopher. //Tower of London//. New York: Alvin Garfin, 1971. Print. Hynson, Colin. //The Tower of London//. Milwaukee: World Almanac Library, 2005. Print. Olsen, Kirstin, ed. //All Things Shakespeare//. V ol. 2. Westport: Greenwood, 2002. Print. Wright, Louis B. //Shakespeare’s England//. New York: American Heritage, 1964. Print. Thomas, Jeff. //The Tower of London//. N.d. Jeff Thomas. //About//. Web. 21 Apr. 2010. .