My research will look at English dramas of the mid to late Tudor period, principally those written and performed during the reigns of the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth I, from the 1550s through to the turn of the seventeenth century. In particular, my research will examine how English dramatists during this period navigated the turbulent societal events surrounding the monarchy and its succession, focusing on the profound changes introduced by female rulers. I will attempt to show how plays of this period present strong female characters of authority in an age when, socially, the roles of most women were, in reality, much restricted, and how these representations allow for the development of wider discussions about national rule and the extent to which political governance requires a broader base. A key feature of my research will be an examination of the extent to which the plays of this period explore the issue of counsel, and how examples of good, bad, and ignored counsel feature prominently in such works.