Word Nerd

“vestal”

Ralph

The word vestal derives from Vesta, an ancient Roman goddess who was important for protecting the Roman people. Her temple in Rome was run by four “vestal virgins” who had pledged a vow of chastity for 30 years.

Athena

By Shakespeare’s time, the word vestal had come to refer to any woman who had made a vow of chastity, particularly a nun.

Ralph

But Oberon refers to a vestal sitting on a throne, that is ruling a kingdom, not a priestess in a temple or nun in a convent. This is undoubtedly a reference to Queen Elizabeth who famously never married and therefore presumably remained a virgin all her life.

Athena

Though in Elizabeth’s case her choice to remain a virgin was not because she had dedicated her life to God, but was because, as this politically savvy monarch put it, she was married to her country.