“But what must have helped most was the fact that Anne was an interrogator’s dream, a freely confessing suspect.”(p.3)

This quote really caught my eye as I was reading this book especially the fact that Anne was described as “an interrogator’s dream.” It’s odd to describe someone like that but for this situation, Anne really was “an interrogator’s dream.” There were no lawyers to represent for her which makes her responsible for her own words within a stressful environment. At that view, it does make sense no matter how odd it is.

“…with all her varied self-presentations, she was still an unmarried woman instead of a king. She could not overcome either her sex or the decision she made not to provide England with a king-consort and an heir of her body or to name any other successor.” p. 90

This quote hit the reality of Queen Elizabeth’s situation pretty hard while I was writing my paper. Carol Levin showed many of Elizabeth’s various strengths during her rule. Yet her status as an unmarried woman was still a huge shadow that she couldn’t get out of.

Within the book, there is a section which is dated the day after Christmas day, about a fight that happened within a cemetery. Most of Samson’s servants attended this and in turn excommunicated the people involved as well as his servants that were involved. Afterwards, he accepted them all back in. However, ” [Samson] uttered terrible threats against anyone who, by word or deed, should create discord, and he publicly prohibited assemblies and shows in the cemetery.” (p.83) Afterwards there was a feast with the townspeople and the abbot. This shows how easily someone in power within the church can easily excommunicate someone. If someone is excommunicated, they can’t enter into heaven and it’s that belief that drives power into this term. It’s a power that can be easily abused to excommunicate someone that is blamed but innocent.

The description for both Mebd and Finnabair is pretty interesting within the Tain. On one hand, Finnabair is always used as a reward for the men that fight Cu Chulain. Even he describes her as ” [t]he girl who was sworn to fifty soldiers. . .” This was compared to Mebd, which was described by Cethern as “This tall, good-looking woman came at me. She had a fine, long face and a head of yellow hair. There were two gold birds on her shoulders. She wore a dark purple hooded cloak. There were five handfuls of gold on her back. A keen-edged javelin blazed in one hand, and she held an iron sword aloft in her proud fist. She cut a striking figure. She’s the one who first wounded me.” This co.parison between the two women shows how sometimes power comes I to play. Finnabair has little power in her current position but her mother has a ton.