Beyond the historic accomplishments of her reign, Elizabeth I has become a legend. It is impossible to disentangle the threads of history and myth within her image. After her triumph over the Armada, Elizabeth became an almost divine figure in the eyes of her people. Since the queen's death in 1603, she has been a subject for poets, historians, composers, film-makers, and authors of pulp fiction. Now, four hundred years after her death, Queen Elizabeth I is perhaps even more famous than in her own lifetime.