In Cue for Treason by Geoffrey Trease, a story of injustice, betrayal and love is told from the point of view of Peter Brownrigg. Peter is a fourteen-year-old farm boy from Cumberland in the Elizabethan era, who ran away from home pursued by the county's nobility and ended up becoming Queen Elizabeth's heroic savior. Of course, Peter wouldn't have accomplished any of his feats without his friend Katherine Russell, also known as Kit Kirkstone. With her independence, courage and intelligence, Kit is a true hero. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Independence is the first of Kit's virtues, causing Kit to rely on his own judgment and act as he sees fit. For example, Kit's "guardian" wanted [her] to marry a man she didn't like", but knows that "that man is a brute", who "doesn't care a penny about [her], really - treats [her] like a child" and that "All he wants to do is get his hands on [her] property... trying to arrange a formal public engagement before [she] is old enough to realize how much everything was serious... thinking [she] wouldn't dare interrupt him and as soon as [she] was fifteen or so he would marry her and take everything. Thus, our protagonist “one evening, as soon as it got dark, she ran away from [her] guardian's house, and then [she] joined Desmond's company as a boy.” Kit could not have accomplished all this if she had been a normal “lady” who trusts and is obedient to the commands of her elders and the conventions of society. Furthermore, she would not have been able to escape if she had counted on the protection of her guardian and the wealth of her family. Thus, this confession of hers (see pages 114-117) demonstrates that Kit is dependent on nothing but herself, physically and mentally. There's also the fact that Kit creates a great debut in Desmond's company out of nothing, clashing with Desmond while being chased by an offended Peter: "'What is this?' [Desmond] asked. 'This little fool-' [Peter] began. '-Wants to join your company.' interrupted [Kit], making a bow that would not disgrace the Queen's ladies-in-waiting. Later, when Desmond declares that “'There's more to acting than curtsying,'” Kit responds as follows: “'I hope so,' [she] agreed immediately. Her face suddenly changed into the most tragic expression, and Desmond's eyes lit up with interest as the girl recited […]”. From this scene (pages 67-69) we can discern, once again, that Kit is willing to use her powers to survive in the world. The examples above show Kit's independence as he ignores the expectations of others and breaks out of the molds constructed by society. Kit also shows a lot of courage, which is just as important as her independence in making her a hero. The most memorable example is the scene at the Virgin Mine, where Peter and Kit were ambushed by local miners while escaping from Sir Philip. Peter had already been taken, and although Kit made it, she "came back...and the black mare came thundering down." That maneuver must have required a considerable amount of courage, to turn back for a hopeless friend when he could easily have escaped under the pretense of saving England. There are also the multiple times when Peter takes on a dangerous task and Kit, although his friend, could have stayed on the sidelines under the guise of being a girl. Yet, throughout the story, Kit never abandons him: when Peter must enter the house of a famous thief to recover a stolen play and needs a distraction to keep the owners of the house away, “Kit offered.