Inequalities for women is certainly not a new concept recently these injustices haven’t been as drastic. However In the Elizabethan period, there were obstacles put in a women’s way and she wasn’t even allowed to think about facing them, leaving many women having to give up their identity to achieve anything. In the novel “Cue For Treason”, author Geoffrey Trease shows how girls during this time, in particular, his character Katharine Kirkstone had to adapt to awful circumstances and try to overcome adversity. The Elizabethan period was an age with no diversity. Katharine (Kit) demonstrates courage in the novel by pretending to be a boy, not being afraid of danger or risks, and by not conforming to the stereotypical image of an Elizabethan young woman.
The author shows and elaborates on the struggles of womanhood during this time. Katharine like many women had hardships and to rid herself of those hardships she had to pretend to be a boy. Katharine performs onstage as a boy countless times even though her true identity may be exposed. Throughout the book, Kit participates in many different productions and acts in several roles. “We had so many parts to learn, especially Kit. The Lord Chamberlain’s Men had a host of the play’s in their repertory..” (Trease 103). She risks having her cover exposed by people who knew her not as Kit the boy but as Katharine the girl from Cumberland. To make matters worse, many of the roles she plays are female and that also increases the risk of her being discovered. Being surrounded by people watching your every move is already daunting, and the stress is higher by adding the fact that she is already hiding her true identity. Performing in front of hundreds of people is courageous enough despite doing it and living a double life. Also, Kit keeps to herself and is strategic whenever she needs to be when approaching any scenario. She doesn’t talk with any of the boys in the Desmonds traveling company; she keeps to herself and reads instead of participating in the activities the other boys are doing. She is smart enough to only confide in people when she needs to and when she trusts them. When Peter found out, he thought,
“Afterward, thinking back and remembering a dozen little things, I couldn’t imagine why I’d never thought about it before, especially as the idea was always popping up in the plays we acted. But I hadn’t and none of the others suspected it either.” (Trease 84).
That quote shows she is smart and resourceful. Not having as many friends because they might find out and report her is a lot of stress that would be unnecessary if she just remained a girl. But she makes herself have that stress so she can make and achieve her goals without being limited because she is a girl, and that is one of the most courageous things a person can do.
During the entirety of the novel Kit never shows fear in the face of adversity. Whenever Peter had a plan, Kit didn’t think twice before jumping in and helping her friend with whatever he needed. For example, Peter sold his script to the yellow men by accident and he needed to get it back. He couldn’t do it alone so Katharine helped and ended up being a vital part of their operation. This is proved with this quote “Far away, at the other side of the house, Kit was hammering madly on the street door.” (Trease 136). Without this help from Katharine, Peter would never have been able to retrieve his script and find the sonnet. She didn’t need to help him. It wasn’t her mistake to fix, but she did it anyway because she wanted to help her friend and she never thought twice about it. Another example of her courage was all the trust she put into Peter through their entire journey, and in particular during the planning of their escape from the clutches of Sir Phillips. The adventures Katharine encounters are extreme and she never shied away from them. Kit also realized her situation when she lived in Cumberland and the harm she would have been faced by Sir Phillip Morton if she stayed there. Phillip had plans to marry her when she came of age and to take over the estate she inherited. Kit secretly escaped, hijacked the Desmonds trailer, found friends, and figured out how to become independent using her talent while also making a fair amount of money in the process. This would already be a hard operation for her being a kid running away from adults, this planning would be extensive even if Sir Phillip was just an ordinary adult. Unfortunately for Katharine, he was a very powerful man with many connections making escaping that much harder. Many people were looking for her, as this was confirmed by this quote from Kit
“You remember that night you all stopped on the road between Penith and Kendal and lit a fire? I was hiding in the bracken. I’d run from home that evening as soon as it was dark. When you moved on the next morning, I followed you. I saw my guardian stop you and search the wagon-” (Trease 86).
Even at a young age, she outsmarted adults and she continued to outsmart Phillip throughout her journey. Kit didn’t look back or worry about the risks of abandoning her home without any income and a long journey ahead of her. All of these reasons show that Katharine not only doesn’t show fear or succumb to it, she also shows intelligence.
The image of a good Elizabethan woman is very different from the image Geoffrey Trease paints for Katharine in this novel. Instead of the stereotypical Elizabethan woman that was expected to run households and provide and care for children. Those were the only things women were permitted to do. One of the main reasons why Kit was unlike those women was that she pursued a career, and not just any career; a career that was totally male-dominated. Throughout the book, she proved her talent time and time again by being an extraordinary actress and performing in many different plays in different acting troupes. She did all these things disguised as a boy because if she showed who she truly was, she wouldn’t get recognition for any of it. This was proved in this quote
“I didn’t answer for a few moments. She was right on one point- if the others found out she was a girl, it would be the finish for her acting. She would be pushed away behind the scenes with Mrs. Desmond, only doing nothing more important to do than stitching and darning costumes. There would have been a fearful scandal if any of our audiences had realized that we had brought a young girl to a public stage” (Trease 84).
During this period the stage was off-limits to girls, men played all the roles, and no women were allowed anywhere near the limelight. Kit acted circles around all the boys and was smart and talented when girls were not allowed to be. Furthermore, Katharine did not conform to any of the Elizabethan female norms. Women during that time were to be seen and not heard. Kit is the opposite of that as she always shares her opinion and is well-spoken. This point is proved time and time again, one example is when Peter is deliberating whether to confide in Shakespeare. Kit doesn’t like this plan and expresses her opinion in this quote,
- “An invitation to leave- that’s all we’ll get, most likely. Or awkward questions about ourselves- who we are, and where we come from. Neither of us want that particularly” (Trease 144).
Katharine also did not dress like the woman in this period; instead of the dresses and corsets women of her class usually wear, she wore pants, sweaters, and vests. Finally, instead of agreeing to an arranged marriage with Sir Phillip like all women at that time would agree to, she escaped and started living independently. Even now that our society has evolved its beliefs about women, there are still conflicts everywhere that arise because of previous notions towards women so it’s refreshing for someone to be strong in the face of adversity and find ways to be heard like Kit.
Throughout the book, it’s evident that Kit was very courageous. Whenever danger or pain was in her future, she never shied away from it. Instead, she confronted it directly. She acted on her beliefs despite danger or disapproval. She demonstrated these virtues by changing her identity, by being a standout in the era, and by not shying away from conflict. Kit is an extremely daring and heroic character and in this book she shows it by pretending to be a boy, not being afraid of risks, and by doing so she did not conform to the Elizabethan expectations for young women. Those are only a few reasons why Kit is an extremely strong character that has been through many hardships and still maintains a courageous outlook on life. Kit is an amazing role-model for everyone because she shows how to live a life with courage.
2020-5-7-1588873903