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QUESTION 1 - Revision 1 + Draft

Sorry, this is a bit overdue. The purpose of Revision 1 is to fix all the mistakes pointed out our great teacher, Ms. Lees, who had explained mistakes on Monday, October 31st of 2011.

Question 1 - Revision 1

Draft 1
The draft is a compilation of paragraphs written for REVISION 1
BOLD is parts used for Finish Product

In the story that takes place in the 16^th century, we first see the

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Peter Browning is a son of a Cumberlandian farmer, he is on the run away from the law when he threw a large rock at the wealthy noble, Sir Philip. Peter, the son of a common farmer, is powerless compared to the noble, he chooses to run away and hide from the law, represented as Sir Philip, but is it better to run away from your troubles, or to face them?

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Running away or facing problems is a common method used in novels to represent the social differences between characters in novels, which in Cue for Treason is Peter Browning and Sir Philip. It

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Running away or facing problems, it depends what it is. Ordinary people would often face problems that they can handle, tackle and resolve. There are however some problems that is massive, and life-changing, problems that ordinary people like Peter Browning cannot handle it,

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Situations like common fights or conflicts would always be resolved immediately, however life-threatening or changing situations like

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It is unusual for the protagonist to be running away from the antagonist. Often in novels, the heroic protagonist would be standing up and fighting the antagonist, however in the novel Cue for Treason this does not seem to be the case. I believe that the author made the choice to show the social differences between the protagonist and antagonist in the novel, Peter and Sir Philip. Peter is a common farmer while Sir Philip is a wealthy noble. If caught by Sir Philip, Peter would be jailed and possibly hanged for treason. It is by rational choice that Peter would run away from this life-changing situation.

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The message that the author is trying to send is that it is sometimes better to run away from your troubles than to face them if they are too big to handle, if are life-threatening or changing.

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Let us take a tally of such situations when it is better to run away from troubles than to face them.

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In 1934, during the Chinese Civil War, Mao, and the People’s Liberation Army of the Communist Party is on the verge of defeat by the antagonistic Kuomintang (KMT). The communist forces then made a daring retreat, to escape from their troubles with the KMT, just like how Peter in “Cue For Treason” ran away from Sir Philip. The retreat caused hardship to the soldiers participating, like how Peter was reduced to the travelling poor in Elizabethan England. The Long March at the end was successful; the communist forces managed to gain strength and support from the farmers and at the end, defeated the KMT in the Chinese Civil War.

Mao Zedong and the Long March shows that sometimes running away can benefit in the long run, just like what Peter did in the novel, where he ran away from Sir Philip. If the communist forces stayed, they would have been annihilated by the KMT armies.

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The choice of running away by protagonist chosen to run away from the law, represented by Sir Philip.

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Peter’s choice of running away benefited him, he recuperated far away from the law, in London and gained enough power from theatre actors and the spymaster to fight back against Sir Philip later in the story.

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The author made the choice for Peter to run away as a representation of the common people in the 16^th century as powerless people compared to wealthy nobles like Sir Philip.

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I believe that facing or running away from troubles depends on the situation, moral or personal choice. If either is favourable, then either would be done. Peter ran away from Cumberland and the law because if caught Sir Philip would torture him for the information about the farmers who participated in the collapse of his wall and later hang him. Peter had no power to retaliate against

Revision 1

Peter Browning is a son of a Cumberlandian farmer, he is on the run away from the law when he threw a large rock at the wealthy noble, Sir Philip. Peter, the son of a common farmer, is powerless compared to the noble, he chooses to run away and hide from the law, represented as Sir Philip, but is it better to run away from your troubles, or to face them?

It is unusual at such early in the story for the protagonist having to cowardly run away from his problems, which is the law represented by Sir Philip, than to stand and face him.

However unusual for a beginning, running away than facing problems is a common method used in novels to represent the social differences between characters in novels, which in Cue for Treason is Peter Browning and Sir Philip.

The author made Peter run away to show that he is powerless and unable to retaliate against Sir Philip. Peter is a common farmer while Sir Philip is a wealthy noble. If caught, Sir Philip would torture him for the information about the farmers who participated in the collapse of his wall and later hang him. This gives Peter a situation where running away is more favourable than torture and death.

Running away or facing your problems is debatable, however it purely rest on the situation. Common minor problems or conflicts would be resolved immediately, such as quarrels or arguments. Larger conflicts that may have a life-changing result (Peter’s situation), may be unresolvable by the protagonist and it may be more favourable to run away from your troubles than to face. Large conflicts could be running away from the law, away from death, fear or uncertainty.

Let us take a tally of such situations when it is better to run away from troubles than to face them.

In 1934, during the Chinese Civil War, Mao, and the People’s Liberation Army of the Communist Party is on the verge of defeat by the antagonistic Kuomintang (KMT). The communist forces then made a daring retreat, to escape from their troubles with the KMT, just like how Peter in “Cue For Treason” ran away from Sir Philip. The retreat caused hardship to the soldiers participating, like how Peter was reduced to the travelling poor in Elizabethan England. The Long March at the end was successful; the communist forces managed to gain strength and support from the farmers and at the end, defeated the KMT in the Chinese Civil War.

Mao Zedong and the Long March shows that sometimes running away can benefit in the long run, just like what Peter did in the novel, where he ran away from Sir Philip. If the communist forces stayed, they would have been annihilated by the KMT armies.

Like what peter did, it is sometimes better to run away from your troubles depending on how much trouble you are in.

Please note that there MAY be a future Revision 2

I am very sorry if the draft confuses you, it was a compilation of paragraphs from the previous version of the question.

Interesting Midsummer's Night Dream Facts.

Here is some historyI found that I thought were worth reading.

 Unlike many of Shakespears' other plays, "Midsummer's Night Dream" does not include any historical figures. The feast of John the Baptist was celebrated as an English festival on June 24 (Midsummer Day) It was believed that on Midsummer Night that the fairies and witches held their festival. if you dreamt about Midsummer Night meant that you would see images of fairies and witches and other similar creatures and mystical events.

Question 3

   Peter is the main character in the novel Cue for Treason. That being said, he is also the protagonist. Question 3 asks if Peter is a hero. If so what type of hero. And what other type of hero in history could you compare him to?
   The usual characteristics of a hero would most likely be brave, selfless, caring, kind, etc. Peter fits these characteristics, though, it would be questionable whether or not he is brave because instead of facing his fears of Sir Phillip early on in the novel he fled. Which could also be an example of selfishness because he could risk putting others at risk by leaving and enraging Sir Phillip.
  Ask yourself, would a true hero, such as Superman, run away from Sir Phillip? Well probably not due to the fact  that Superman has laser eyes, flight, and super strength. Use a different example perhaps. Would Mahatma Gandhi run away from Sir Phillip. I would not think so. Never the less, Peter is brave. In the novel he threw at stone a Sir Phillip, joined the Secret Services of the Queen, made a daring escape out of captivity and eventually saved the Queen.
  Would Peter be and accidental hero, or a hero such as a fireman who makes a profession out of it. There could be debate over this. On one hand Peter was part of the Queen's protection services which would make it seem like it was Peter's job being a hero. But Peter is more likely an accidental hero because heroes such as a fireman knows what their getting their selves into. Whereas Peter just acted out in the moment with heroines.
   I would compare Peter to a army solider, because he is wise and knows when to flee and when to fight. Also he is very brave. Peter is not a coward, he is a hero.

Question 2 - Entertainment Media

Throughout the centuries, entertainment media has became a great achievement of human development. It reflects, carries on, and influences our culture, social value, and even political ideals. In the Elizabethan Age, the theatre was the entertainment media; now, entertainment media has all kinds of forms, such as TV, books, drama, and films. Though it is very different from the Elizabethan Age, but it still functions the same.

Humans are interesting creatures, they are easily affected by the surrounding people’s saying, but they do not admit it. When they see political campaigning advertisement, they are aware of the message it is trying to deliver. But when they are watching iCarly or American Idol, they have no caution of the delivering message. So are the people in the Elizabethan Age!

In the Elizabethan Age, the theatre take a great part in spreading new ideas. They influence culture, social value and political ideals. Geoffrey Trease’s historic fiction novel Cue for Treason lively reflects theatre’s influence based on Shakespeare’s life experience, through a boy named Peter‘s eyes. In the age of Renaissance, many new ideas start to spread through the media of theatre. Shakespeare, as a humanist, put many humanist ideas into his play. For example, Romeo and Juliet, which focuses more on the relationship between people and people, such as Love and Hatred. It is totally the opposite of the Roman Catholic Church’s idea, which emphasizes the relationship between human and god. They weaken the authority of the Catholic Church. Shakespeare’s theatre plays also bring a revolutionary change to the English language. More vocabulary, phrases, jokes are made. We are still using some of them in the modern days.

Now, with more advanced technology, entertainment media can reach all kinds of people. Many political parties have noticed its power and influences. During the 2011 federal election of Canada, the New Democratic Party wisely uses this “ancient media”. Political campaigns are made into cartoons, instead of a real Stephan Harper, the NDP uses “Tiny Stephan”! And, these cartoon advertisement are often played after American Idol, and they are everywhere on YouTube and Facebook, which doubles the effect. It is hard for people to refuse its message. We all know the result of the election, the NDP triples its seats in the House of Commons and becomes the Official Opposition. More people’s voice can be heard in Ottawa. The NDP would not make this achievement without the entertainment media.

Now, humans are in their twenty-first century, but they are still such interesting creature. They develop entertainment media to influence themselves. Who knows if it is wise or not? But one thing that we are sure of is, entertainment media influences culture, social value, and even political ideals.

Cue for Treason Novel Questions - Question 5

Question 5 - Students often have difficulties relating to Shakespeare or other writers from the past. However, they do not have as much trouble relating to characters that are set in the past, as in historical fiction. Choose one of the main characters, Peter, Kit, Sir Philip or another (approved by me first) and persuade me that as characters we can still relate to them today. You may want to start with their characteristics and then think of present day examples that are similar.

                Although it can be difficult to relate to characters in the past, it is usually because of the narrow thinking about the changes of the time frames, people tend to think that there are no connections between themselves and the past. Different places, dress attire, and language, make people think that too much is different to relate to any of it. And though how it seems , it will be easier to do so if you examine their character traits, lifestyle, living standards, and personal goals, and compare them to our own. For example look at the novel Cue for Treason and the character “Kit.”

                Everyone has character traits, and this is in the past, the present and will be in the future. Kit is a fifteen year old girl who lived during the Elizabethan era in England. She is very smart, cunning, and witty. She can get what she wants done, done. Also very resourceful and thinks fast to avoid anything potentially harmful to herself.

“‘Yes I have no father or mother. Or five sisters,’ she added with a laugh. ‘I had to invent them to account for the way I knew how to curtsy and all that.’” Pg. 86

These days, kids, teens, even adults, quickly make up things to please, control or just to avoid hurting others. For example, parents tell young kids that Santa didn’t give them gifts because he forgot to visit the house, to avoid seeing their children unhappy, while the real reason could be because of bills waiting to be paid, resulting in the inability to provide their children gifts for that Christmas.

                Even during the Elizabethan era, there was a large gap between the high class and the lower class. Kit is considered to be a “higher class” person during that time. She lived in a mansion, on a large estate, which will soon become her won when she is old enough to take over the name of the land. Although at first it doesn’t seem like it, she has the manner of a fine lady, is used to eating fine foods, and living in comfort. This description of the “high class” hasn’t changed much from then till now. On the other hand the “lower class” has. From farmers then, farmers now who sell their produce become large companies. But compared to today’s people holding lower paying jobs or none at all now, shows that the economy has changed as so has the government.

                Kit has changed throughout the book as she disguises herself as a male character to flee from an arranged marriage with Sir Philip Morton, a noble who wants her land to expand on his own. Even though many people do not notice it, arranged marriages still do exist today. The joining of two large companies or groups for better business is not unusual. Many top line businesses in Hong Kong have their children arranged to marry, just to stabilize or affirm their future plans for the business or themselves.

                What is the purpose of life? To achieve the goal we want. All goals are different; meaning for some people will have to go the extra distance just to achieve what they want. Kit is very persistent, and will go as far as she can to achieve her goal. Because of this persistence, she goes such lengths to disguise herself as a male, not only so she can be unrecognized by Sir Philip, but to also sneak into a traveling theater company, to go far from her home in Cumberland.  During this time she finds her love for theater, hoping to become a better actor (actress).

                Seeing how present day lifestyles, living standards, goals and character traits can show how many things are similar, whether in the past or the present, we can relate to characters, even if it is set a century ago.

Question 1

Of course it would be rather odd for the Heroic Protagonist like Peter to have to run from the authority, normally in a novel, the protagonist would be the victor, whereas the antagonist is running away from the forces of good. I believe that what Peter did, to run away was a rational choice by a rational person. I think that it is good to run away from your troubles or stay and face it depending on situation, it is more of situational compromise, doing whatever is best for success. Peter ran away when he was weak with no capabilities to retaliate against the powerful Sir Philip, he ran and recuperated, made relations with theatre companies and later with the Queen’s spymaster. After recuperating away from Sir Philip, he fought back against his antagonist and managed to get him arrested.

The author is trying to message us through the text that sometimes the protagonist is not as strong as the antagonist and that retreating or running away from your troubles may be your only choice to win if opposing forces is too strong.

Here is a situation where running away will help…

Example, Mao Zedong and the Long March

Mao, and the People’s Liberation Army of the Communist Party is on the verge of defeat by the antagonistic Guo Ming Dong (Fix to GuoMinTong) (KMT). They then made a massive retreat, just like how Peter in “Cue For Treason” ran away from Sir Philip. The retreat caused hardship to the soldiers participating, like how Peter was reduced to the travelling poor in Elizabethan England. The Long March at the end was successful, they PLA managed to gain strength and support from the farmers and at the end, defeated the KMT in the Chinese Civil War.

Mao Zedong and the Long March shows situational compromises, if you need to run away from your troubles, then do so and recuperate, gather strength and make the final push against your antagonist.

Peter could stand and fight against Sir Philip, but because of his weak power, his retaliation against Philip WILL NOT be enough to win. If Peter do stand, he would probably be caught and probably hanged by Sir Philip’s Justice.

In conclusion, I believe that it is better to run away from your troubles if your situation does not favour you.

Jonathan Zhan
Oct. 30st