Read the excerpt from "The Story of a Warrior Queen." Queen Boadicea looked so beautiful and fierce as she stood there, with her
blue eyes flashing, and her golden hair blowing round her in the wind, that the hearts of her people were filled with love for her, and anger against the Romans. As she spoke, fierce desires for revenge grew in them. They had hated their Roman conquerors before, now the hatred became a madness. So, when Boadicea had finished speaking, a cry of rage rose from the Britons. They beat upon their shields with their swords, and swore to avenge their Queen, to fight and die for her and for their country. Then Boadicea, leaning with one hand upon her spear, and lifting the other to heaven—prayed. She prayed to the goddess of war, and her prayer was as fierce as her speech, for she had never heard of a God who taught men to forgive their enemies. Which detail in this excerpt reveals heroic qualities and supports the universal theme of loyalty to one's country? Queen
The power of Boadicea is highlighted in this excerpt, using adjectives such as fierce, beautiful, and the imagery of "her golden hair blowing round her in the wind" giving the illusion of someone otherworldly, superior to common beings. Her speech rouses deep passion in the people, it's a call for action that is responded eagerly. Loyalty to the Queen is loyalty to the Country, the soldiers pledge their lives to her, hence they pledge their lives to fight for the country against the Romans. Her rage is mirrored and multiplied, till everybody is willing to die for her, to avenge their country.
Whereas the beginning of the novel focuses largely on Jem and Scout's childhood and their obsession with Boo, the trial gradually begins to take over. For the first time, real racial tensions begin to emerge in the novel.
