“One of the most unpleasant experiments conducted on Anne was having pins…stuck into her arms to demonstrate lack of feeling.” pg 10

I realize that we already discussed in class a bit about whether Anne was willingly part of the deception or not, but I can’t help but be confused by her. Her testimony certainly gives the impression that she did not want to be a willing counterpart in this scheme. Maybe I’m not ‘in tune’ with the times enough, but certainly there’s no way that she would endure this much without telling anyone if there wasn’t a part of her that was in on the scheme as well. All she had to do was react a bit when the needles were stuck and it would’ve been enough. She was drugged while this was going on, but I’m under the impression it dulled her senses while she was still in full control of her mind.

“…Many of her subjects did accept Elizabeth as an acceptable substitute for the Virgin Mary…members of Elizabeth’s court believed that having the queen visit on progress was tantamount to having their house blessed…Sir Robert Burton suggested the very sight of the monarch could ‘refresh the soul of man’” -pg 28

I felt that this part was extremely significant because it shows how much of an impact Elizabeth’s piety had throughout her reign. It affected people of every status in England, with the common people even accepting her as a substitute to Mary. Mary was one of the pinnacles of female representation in society, so the fact that Elizabeth was revered on essentially the same level is extremely telling. The nobles and lawmakers of the country were also in awe of her piety, even as far as her very presence seeming to affect their condition and ‘bless’ them.

“He unwaveringly excused Ralph and declared him innocent, and coming into chapter he complained that this action had been taken to his disadvantage and without his being consulted. Someone replied, and everybody else shouted in agreement, that it had been done by the prior with the unanimous approval of the chapter. The abbot was disconcerted by this…he demonstrated his power by publicly commanding the cellarer to restore in full everything that had been taken from Ralph” (103-104).

This situation occurs when Ralph (a servant) appears to sue some of the obedientiaries, which everyone within the church agreed was detrimental. As a result, they decided to punish him through loss of wages. This was done when the abbot was in London. When he returns he is informed of what happened, especially concerning how this punishment was given without consulting him. Despite the others saying it was a unanimous decision by the ones in the chapter, the abbot refuses to allow the punishment to remain. This exemplifies the dynamic and wrestle of power between the one ‘in charge’ and the ones underneath him. Despite a clear consensus that Ralph was in the wrong, the abbot refused to uphold the punishment bestowed on him by the others simply because he had not been consulted first.

“Hound of the great deeds, you killed me wrongly. Your guilt bleeds on me as my blood stains you” (151)

This statement occurs when Fer Diad is in the process of dying. I was intrigued by this because the statement makes it clear that the way Cu Chulainn killed him was wrong and unjust. However, it’s not like this was the first time that Cu Chulainn has broken the rules in order to achieve victory. My question is, why does the story decide to make this a special occasion? Why specifically point out the way Cu Chulainn achieved victory, when he had done things similar in previous situations?