 What is the author's main purpose in this text?
After skulls are smashed, throats slit, and bosoms skewered in the name of Christ, Elizabeth decides to: a) "unsex" herself and become a symbol--the Virgin Queen, married only to England; and b) entertain dissenting opinions exclusively from those whose heads are affixed to spikes. Probably, although the evidence suggests that Elizabeth had developed a head for stratagems earlier in life (her position had been precarious since the beheading of her mother) and came to the throne with few girlish illusions about How Things Work in a barbarous state. Gradually expunging all empathy from her moist, pink eyes and permitting her visage to ossify, she gives this carnival of carnage an awe-inspiring center.
 to inform us of the pros and cons of each movie
 to compare the abilities of three directors  to persuade us to pay attention to the hidden meaning in the films  to compare the queenly characteristics of the three films  to inform us of the pros and cons of each movie