The historical fiction novel In a Treacherous Court begins in the year 1525 in the populous country of England. The well-known Henry VIII is king over England during the century. The King summons for a personal illuminator from Belgium. Little did Henry VIII know the artist would be a woman, Susanna Horenbout. Long dark hair accents Susanna’s sharp hazel eyes that are used to create wonders on paper, works of art that shock many. Because she is a woman, many are unsure of her skills at first.
To receive the expected illuminator, the king sends his lethal, sensible courtier and yeomen of the crossbows, John Parker, to pick up her up from the docks. John Parker is a strong and hardworking man with brown hair and deep eyes. Not only is Parker surprised to discover the illuminator is a female, but far more dangerous news reaches him on the way. Upon arriving to the ship, Parker finds the dead Master Harvey, a cloth merchant who gathered news for the king, in Susanna’s arms. Master Harvey was killed by a knife to the chest, as he jumped on board, attempting to escape persecutors, describes Susanna and the captain of the ship. Susanna explains to Parker how Master Harvey, before he died, entrusted her with an extensive and impactful secret to give to the king and to Master Harvey’s wife. Parker is skeptical, but then suddenly, when Susanna walks by a window on the ship, an arrow from a crossbow narrowly passes by her! With this attempt on her life and important secret, Parker decides to aid her in getting to Bridewell Palace, the place of King Henry VII.
Along the way to the palace, another attack on Susanna’s life is made by an ambush. After this frightening encounter they survived, the characters soon reach the palace to hold court ...
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... the book after the final pages of the narrative, the author informs the reader of the people throughout the story that are real figures in history, like John Parker and Susanna Horenbout, who were actually played a part in history. Little to no occurrences in the book really stretched the truth and made the reader question the story. The verifiable references tribute to genuine facts incorporated in the narrative, creating a realistic and believable scene and an exciting adventure.
In a Treacherous Court by Michelle Diener was an entertaining read and depicted the time period thoroughly. Historical references, believable dialogue, and correct word choice along with the accurate descriptions created the perfect scene for teaching the Middle Ages and Renaissance time period.
Works Cited
Diener, Michelle. In a Treacherous Court: A Novel. New York: Gallery, 2011.
The story of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, has been elusive to historians since her death in 1536 at the hands of her husband. This, in part, can be attributed to the destruction of almost everything she touched soon after her execution. On orders of the king, the castles that were once her home had all memory stripped of her. Portraits were destroyed, letters disappeared, their symbol of the H and A intertwined had the A ripped away. The remnants of her time on the throne are pieces of history that were overlooked in the workers haste to strip the castles in preparation for Jane Seymour to become queen. There are few hints left of what really happened during Anne’s life and how important she was during her reign which has created the widespread infatuation with Anne and who she really was. Why is Anne’s life of such interest to us then? The reasons are many and include the desire to know her role in the English reformation, being the first queen of England to ever be executed, and the impact it had on her daughter and the later Queen Elizabeth I.
In the Chinese detective novel, Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, a view into the Chinese judicial system during the Tang dynasty is provided. After reading the novel, one finds that the Chinese judicial system worked in similar but also in different ways compared to modern day judicial systems around the world. In order to notice this correlation, this paper will analyze the responsibilities and measurements the judge had to undergo in order to solve the crimes that occurred in his district. The judge or magistrate during the Tang dynasty had a lot of power, “this government official united in his person the functions of judge, jury, prosecutor and detective” (IX). Judges had full responsibility and authority over all phases of the life of the
“‘La magnificence et la galanterie n’ont jamais paru en France avec tant d’éclat que dans les dernières annèes du règne de Henri second.’ (p. 35)... However, this image of classical perfection is quickly fractured by the mention of the event that guides the life of the court-the passion of Henry II for the Duchesse de Valentinois Later in the narrative, the heroine, like the reader, asks for further explanation for this unusual passion between a woman not only much older than the king, but one who, in addition to having been Henry’s father’s mistress, also has several other lovers..” (Judovitz, 1038-1039)
David Howarth's writing style is unique. He allows the story to develop on its own. The story flows and the events do not seem forced. The story reads like a historical novel and is easy to follow. Howarth presents his information fully and does not leave anything for the reader to question. The reader does not become confused or lost because of the way that the author reveals his information in the book.
Nash, Susan. Oxford History of Art: Norther Renaissance Art. 2nd. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. 30-65. eBook.
Throughout the years there has been limitless legal cases presented to the court systems. All cases are not the same. Some cases vary from decisions that are made by a single judge, while other cases decisions are made by a jury. As cases are presented they typically start off as disputes, misunderstandings, or failure to comply among other things. It is possible to settle some cases outside of the courts, but that does require understanding and cooperation by all parties involved. However, for those that are not so willing to settle out of court, they eventually visit the court system. The court system is not in existence to cause humiliation for anyone, but more so to offer a helping hand from a legal prospective. At the same time, the legal system is not to be abuse. or misused either.
I found the book to be easy, exciting reading because the story line was very realistic and easily relatable. This book flowed for me to a point when, at times, it was difficult to put down. Several scenes pleasantly caught me off guard and some were extremely hilarious, namely, the visit to Martha Oldcrow. I found myself really fond of the char...
This is an odd little book, but a very important one nonetheless. The story it tells is something like an extended parablethe style is plain, the characters are nearly stick figures, the story itself is contrived. And yet ... and yet, the story is powerful, distressing, even heartbreaking because the historical trend it describes is powerful, distressing, even heartbreaking.
I found this book to be a rather interesting read. I enjoyed how Levathes researched this book and wrote it to try to explain about this specific period of time and how it is very non-fiction.
The jurors had several conflicts in disagreeing with each other and it didn't help that they would shout over one another. The very first conflict is when juror 8 voted not guilty against the 11 guilty votes. The other 11 jurors don't seem to want to hear this man out; they don't want to hear why he has voted not guilty. Some of these men, jurors 3 and 7, just want to get this case over with so they can get on with their lives. They don't think it is imperative enough to look over the evidence and put themselves in the place of the defendant. They get upset with this man and try to get him to vote guilty.
Professor’s Comments: This is a good example of a book review typically required in history classes. It is unbiased and thoughtful. The Student explains the book and the time in which it was written in great detail, without retelling the entire story… a pitfall that many first time reviewers may experience.
The courts have the function of giving the public a chance to present themselves whether to prosecute or defend themselves if any disputes against them rise. It is known to everyone that a court is a place where disputes can be settled while using the right and proper procedures. In the Criminal court is the luxury of going through a tedious process of breaking a law. Once you have been arrested and have to go to court because of the arrest, you now have a criminal case appointed against you. The court is also the place where a just, fair and unbiased trial can be heard so that it would not cause any disadvantage to either of the party involved in the dispute. The parties are given a chance to represent themselves or to choose to have a legal representative, which is mostly preferred by many.
...ch as time, dates, and the exact relationships between the different characters are is not spelled out. This active involvement of the viewer is necessary for the work of art to stand on its own. This takes the challenge thrown out by modernists to reject easy conventions and make new ones, and pushes it further to the point where conventions become a joke. Those who understand the references get the joke, and this creates a new kind of meaning beyond the surface meaning of the narrative.
The women which Stephen comes across in his journey in becoming an artist define him and change him by nurturing him, fascinating him, and inspiring him. Stephen was forever changed by his mother, the Virgin Mary, Eileen, the prostitute, and the seaside woman. The object of the artist is to create the object of the beautiful, I argue that it was the beauty in the women of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, which created the artist in the end.