Nicknames are generally defined as a subterfuge given to a person to better understand their personality. In order to understand whether Queen Mary deserves her nickname, we must first examine her history. Mary I of England was born on February 18, 1516. She was the only surviving child of Henry VIII's first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Due to her gender and her mother's inability to produce a male heir, they were both rejected. It was after the death of Edward VI that Mary made a bid for her birthright as heir to the throne. Edward VI and his council wanted his cousin Lady Jane Gray to succeed him because of her Protestant faith. However, after just nine days, Jane Gray was dethroned by Mary thanks to popular support. During her 5-year reign, Queen Mary I took drastic steps to return England to the Roman Catholic faith. Her attempts were short-lived, however, as they were quickly quashed by her successor and half-sister, Queen Elizabeth I. It was also during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I that Queen Mary I was unfairly given the nickname Bloody Queen Mary . Therefore, Queen Mary did not deserve this nickname as it was a skewed portrayal of her through the eyes of the Protestant Queen Elizabeth who later succeeded her. The 16th century (during his reign) was essentially a brutal time and therefore actions should not be highlighted as such. brutal due to her violent environment and gender, Mary had to be brutal to maintain respect. The essence of this nickname is that it was given by the Protestants who later succeeded him. Alex Haley once wrote, “History is written by the winners.” Unfortunately, this queen's legacy is an unfortunate example of this. This is due to John Foxe's famous book, Book of Mar...... middle of paper ......ed in order to avoid any further power struggle. As for the rebels who marched against the city of London, only 100 were executed while 400 were graciously pardoned by Mary. This iron character that Mary built for herself served her well because there were few cases of rebellion during her reign. Nicknames can be given to anyone and they can have a great effect but are usually underestimated. The reason nicknames are so powerful is because they can sum up a person's entire character in just a few words. As we flip through the pages of history, we must be careful not to trust every word of the people who recorded historical events. We must be careful to eliminate prejudice and therefore rid famous figures such as Queen Mary I of England, the first female official as head of a monarch, of misrepresentations that would otherwise taint their reputation..