Cue for Treason

In this section, Trease develops the plot by introducing his secondary protagonist and further developing the historical context of early modern society.

Through Kit, Trease shows The Impact of Social Structures on Individuals. He introduces her in an action sequence, as she holds a knife to Peter’s throat and later showing her desperation as she flees a forced marriage. Trease shows that Elizabethan gender structures force Kit to take drastic measures to maintain her independence. He introduces her disguised as a boy but offers clues for the reader about her real identity, developing the mystery element of the book: she knows how to curtsey perfectly, and plays the women’s roles with ease. However, she also plays her offstage part as a boy well: no one suspects anything. She is fearless onstage and in real life, whether threatening Peter or helping rescue Desmond, and proves herself physically capable in swimming, walking, and riding. Through Kit’s character, Trease challenges a rigid understanding of gender that defines individuals by their sex. Trease also shows that these ideas were occasionally challenged even within this time period, especially within Shakespeare’s plays. Peter’s narrative explains to the reader that many plays included the trope of the heroine disguising themselves as a man, partly because it made it easier for male actors to play these parts. These cross-dressing parts also played with transgressive ideas of gender and used male disguise as a way to imagine women escaping the confines of gender roles. Although Shakespeare’s attitudes toward women are not known, Trease extrapolates from his plays’ often compassionate and daring representations of women to portray him as actively supportive of Kit’s real-life transgression.

Trease portrays The Power of Theater as a vehicle of free expression, and a source of joy and community feared by controlling organizations, foreshadowing the Puritan’s total ban on theater in the mid-17th century. Trease uses the traveling theater troupe to offer this historical context, creating a detailed backdrop for Peter’s adventures. Again, the reader is informed of these details as Peter learns them, making the information seem natural. He shows the power of the local Justices of the Peace in this era, who grant or deny their performance permit, and he hints at the complex religious situation in England: Puritan-leaning towns are anti-theater, and their troupe is banned in some places. Once they arrive in London, Peter learns that the theaters exist outside the city boundary so they don’t need the authorities’ permission: Trease paints a picture of a world akin to outlawry where freedom is precariously maintained.

This broader context is also important in Peter’s Coming of Age journey. He learns about the world beyond his community, including the widespread issues of poverty, unemployment, and displacement in early modern England. He describes “thousands [of] workless, unwanted people” (84) and realizes that his plan to quickly find work when he left home was unrealistic. He sees that wider society treats these people harshly unlike his supportive local community. Peter also gains perspective through his growing relationship with Kit. He is initially jealous and suspicious but, after learning her secret, recognizes the unfairness she faces and is sympathetic, promising not to tell. In this section Trease develops the alliance between them, which will become the book’s major relationship. They become a team, sticking together when they reach London, protecting each other’s secrets, and sharing food. This shows Peter’s growth and consolidates Kit’s status as his partner. The theme of The Power of Theater links to this Coming of Age relationship. It facilitates Peter’s growth and his and Kit’s escape from their restricting social structures. As Desmond asserts, “[W]e ask no awkward questions here… we are all friends in this company” (71). Trease highlights the value of theater as art too: Kit reads “as if her heart and soul were in it” (106), showing its emotional power, and foreshadowing the emotional nature of Kit and Peter’s later relationship.

Trease enriches the narrative of this section with multiple twists and smaller adventures. For example, he ends Chapters 6 and 7 on the cliffhangers of Kit writing to Sir Philip, and of Peter realizing Kit’s secret, building mystery and tension. He creates pace through the constant jeopardy in Chapter 6 as Peter wonders if Kit will turn him in, and their constant travelling, meeting obstacles along the way, such as the dangerous river crossing. Once Peter and Kit reach London, they initially struggle to find work or shelter. Once they do, Trease highlights the excitement of their lives, constantly performing. He reintroduces Sir Philip, this time connecting him to Kit’s unhappiness establishing him as a common antagonist whose danger has followed them both to the capital.

This section moves the story forward, shows the interconnectedness of the main themes, and builds the pace and tension. Moving the action to London, it establishes the setting for the main adventure plot developed in the next section: a political conspiracy.