The Beheading Game

Describe the strict set of societal expectations placed upon women in The Beheading GameThe Beheading Game. Does becoming a queen grant Anne Boleyn more freedom or less? Is there a tradeoff?

What crimes was Anne charged with? What transgressions was she beheaded for? Are they the same?

Early on, Anne proclaims that she became Henry VIII’s mistress “willingly.” Why does she think that? Do you agree?

How do the mottos of Anne (“the most happy”) and Jane Seymour (“bound to obey and serve”) represent the women? In what ways are the two queens similar? Different?

Describe Anne’s relationships with her siblings, Mary and George. Are they close?

How do the different characters in the novel think about children, their own and those of others? How does having children impact a woman? A man?

Throughout the novel, Anne draws parallels between her story and the lives of various animals. How do her comparisons to animals explain the way Anne sees the world and her place in it?

Anne and Alice at first seem like an unlikely pair. What draws the two together?

How has Anne changed by the end of the novel? Has she? Is it possible for her to evolve after her own death?

How do fact and fiction interact in The Beheading Game? Did reading the novel change the way you think about any of the historical figures featured or the Tudor period generally?