Henry VIII abbreviated

Synopsis


Henry VIII as a play, also known as All Is True, opens as if we were in London in 1520 A.D. with Buckingham and Norfolk on stage, two principals in the play, the two of them good friends. Norfolk tells Buckingham of the extravagant exhibition of pageantry he recently witnessed, a garish display conducted in France by the French and English kings, an event arranged by Cardinal Wolsey, the Archbishop of Canterbury. All of this talk infuriates Buckingham, no love lost between him and Wolsey. Norfolk warns him to not in a public way be too angry with the Cardinal, he being a powerful man. (Insight, Act 1, Scene 1) Sure enough, Buckingham has put himself at risk and is soon arrested and sent to London’s Tower.

A little later the king and Wolsey are together in the king’s palace when Queen Katherine enters to tell the king how upset his subjects are with their tax increase, an issue catching the king by surprise, the result of a new tax policy initiated by the Cardinal. Receiving grief from the queen and then from the king, Wolsey defends his actions, but later tells his aide to revoke the taxes, but that in the doing he must let the commoners know that the revocation of the tax increase was his, the Cardinal’s idea. (Deception, Act 1, Scene 2) Separately, Buckingham’s surveyor, whom Buckingham earlier had labeled as “false,” dishonestly and fatally implicates him in his testimony before the king and Wolsey. (Deviousness, Act 1, Scene 2)

Wolsey soon throws an extravagant dinner party, where a noble says, “He has money. In him, sparing would show a worse sin than ill doctrine.” Anne Bullen, the queen’s lady-in-waiting, and other young ladies arrive, a noble saying, “By my life, they are a sweet society of fair ones.” The king and others enter masquerading as shepherds. The king dances with Anne, unmasking when Wolsey identifies him. As they leave the room for the banquet, the love-struck king says to Anne, “Sweet partner, I must not yet forsake you.”

Meanwhile Buckingham, having been implicated by his surveyor, offers a powerful defense at his trial, but is convicted and condemned to death. (Honor, Act 2, Scene 1)(History, Act 2, Scene 1) Campeius, on a visit from Rome and representing the Pope, and Wolsey, who continues to be accused of various dastardly tricks, visit the king who says, referring to Queen Katherine, “I must leave her.” Separately, Anne Bullen and an Old Lady grieve over the queen’s predicament, Anne saying, “I would not be a queen for all the world.” A Lord Chamberlain enters to tell Anne that the king has honored her as the Marchioness of Pembroke, adding that the title includes “a thousand pounds a year annual support.” Anne responds, “This is strange to me.” The Old Lady adds, “Are you not stronger than you were?” Meanwhile Queen Katherine is called before the king and lets the king, Wolsey and others know how loyal she feels she’s been, knowing she’s at risk, doing her best to protect her interests. (Wife to Husband, Act 2, Scene 4) When she leaves the king lets us know he believes he needs a son because his kingdom is, he says “well worthy to the best heir ‘o th’ world,” Katherine having but one daughter and having had a number of miscarriages.

Meanwhile, Wolsey and Campeius visit Queen Katherine to give her “the full cause of our coming;” their cause being to encourage her to quickly accept the king’s plan to divorce her. She puts up a good defense, scolding them, but in the end succumbs to the inevitable. (Resentment, Act 2, Scene 4) (Reflection, Act 2, Scene 4) (Anger, Act 3, Scene 1) Separately, Norfolk, Suffolk, and others are discussing the trap Wolsey has set for himself, he having suggested to the Pope that the king’s divorce be delayed. To Wolsey’s misfortune his letters to the Pope had been intercepted and turned over to the king. (Insight, Act 3, Scene 2) We learn the politically astute Cardinal Cranmer “supports the king’s quick divorce.” Wolsey enters, soon followed by the king, who then hands Wolsey papers letting him know his time as Archbishop of Canterbury is about up. (Pleading, Act 3, Scene 2) The king and nobles exit. Norfolk, Suffolk and Surrey soon re-enter asking Wolsey “to render up the great seal.” Wolsey puts up a brief defense, but knows he is “undone.” As the nobles exit, Wolsey replays to himself his missteps. (Introspection, Act 3, Scene 2) Cromwell, Wolsey’s servant, enters, telling Wolsey that Cranmer has been “installed Lord Archbishop of Canterbury” and that the king and Lady Anne “in secrecy long married.” Wolsey offers Cromwell counsel and leaves, saying, “My hopes in heaven do dwell.” (Counsel, Act 3, Scene 2)

Meanwhile, two Gentlemen, talking on a street corner, waiting for Queen Anne’s procession to pass by, are joined by a third Gentleman who attended her coronation, the third Gentleman gushing over the beautiful Queen Anne, saying, “Believe me, she is the goodliest woman.” He then tells them of the coronation. (Observation, Act 4, Scene 1) The young queen was crowned with Edward Confessor’s crown, Edward the Confessor being England’s king from 1042 to 1066. The three men then give us some insight into the deteriorating relationship between Gardiner, the Bishop of Winchester, and Cranmer, the new Archbishop of Canterbury.

Separately, an ill Katherine is told about Wolsey’s death. She says, “He gave the clergy ill example.” Capuchius, an ambassador from Katherine’s nephew, the king of Spain, Charles V, Charles the Emperor, emperor of the Germanic Holy Roman Empire, enters. She gives him written instructions to deliver to her nephew, Spain’s king. He says, “By heaven, I will.” Her written requests are to take care of her daughter Mary, her servants and to “inter me like a queen.” (Request, Act 4, Scene 2)

Meanwhile we learn Queen Anne is having a difficult labor, and that the Bishop of Winchester has told members of the King’s Council that Cranmer “is a most arch heretic” and that “he’s a rank weed and we must root him out.” Separately, the king lets Cranmer know that he has “heard many grievous complaints of you,” and advises him of ways to deal with members of the Council when he appears before them. But, significantly, the king gives him a ring to present to the members if push comes to shove. (Confidence, Act 5, Scene 1) Later, Cranmer arrives at the doors of the Privy Council, but is forced to wait outside the chamber, a major insult. In time he is permitted to enter the chamber and he defends himself beautifully, but in spite of his convincing defense the members decide to send him to prison. (Pride, Act 5, Scene 2) At that moment Cranmer presents the king’s ring and the tone of the session changes. The king soon enters, berates the Council members, and tells Cranmer “There is a fair young maid that yet wants baptism.” (Honor, Act 5, Scene 4) Later, a huge and unruly crowd gathers at the king’s palace to view the christening. Soon the king, his just-born daughter Elizabeth, Cranmer and others enter. At this point Cranmer christens the young child, who in time becomes the revered Queen Elizabeth I. Shakespeare has Cranmer offer an extravagant prophecy for the young monarch-to-be, the baby Elizabeth becoming Queen Elizabeth I, the queen at the time Shakespeare was presenting most of his plays, she no doubt being his principal patron. The king says simply to Cranmer, “Thou speakest wonders.”


Principal Characters


Anne Bullen
Anne Bullen, Queen Katherine’s lady-in-waiting, first met King Henry early in the play when he masqueraded as a shepherd during Cardinal Wolsey’s extravagant dinner party, the king falling for her while dancing with her during the party. The king soon divorces Katherine and marries Anne. Late in the play Anne delivers the future-to-be Queen Elizabeth I.

Buckingham
Buckingham is the Duke of Buckingham, a title he inherited from his late father, the most loyal of aides to Richard Plantagenet, the Duke of Gloucester, who became the infamous King Richard III. Richard Plantagenet became king to some great extent because of this Buckingham’s father’s great skills and assistance. However, once Richard became king he rescinded his pledges to Buckingham, who then left the king’s court, turning on Richard III, and was later captured by the king’s forces and executed. The Buckingham of Richard III had a great line: “Made I him king for this?” Before having this Buckingham executed, a result of Wolsey’s and the Surveyor’s doing, the king says, “The gentleman is learned and a most rare speaker.” Buckingham is executed early in Act two.

Cranmer
Cranmer is a cardinal at the time King Henry VIII meets and dances with Anne Bullen. Cranmer’s support of the king’s divorce from Katherine and marriage to Anne Bullen catapults him to prominence and to the exalted position of Archbishop of Canterbury. Shakespeare has Cranmer throw accolades at the very end of the play to the baby Elizabeth, who later becomes Elizabeth I and a principal supporter of Shakespeare while he was active as a playwright.

Gardiner
Gardiner is the king’s secretary and later becomes the Bishop of Winchester. He considers Cranmer a heretic and becomes his nemesis. Gardiner is better known late in the play simply as Winchester. Taking the lead before Council members, he accuses Cranmer of being a heretic, an accusation that leads Council members to decide to send Cranmer to prison, a decision abruptly cut short when the king enters and protects Cranmer.

Henry VIII
Henry VIII was the son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Henry VII was a Lancastrian; Elizabeth a Yorkist. Henry VII had been known earlier in his life as Henry Tudor, the Earl of Richmond, later becoming the first Tudor king. Henry VI had viewed the Earl of Richmond as a young man of real potential. Henry VII was the son of Margaret Beaufort (a descendant of John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster) and of Edmund Tudor (the son of Katherine, Henry V’s widow). When Henry VII married Elizabeth of York (a descendant of Edmund, the original Duke of York, John of Gaunt’s younger brother) he, through his birth, talent and marriage, brought the huge Plantagenet family together as a more peaceful royal family, ending the century-old War of the Roses. Henry VII’s son, Henry VIII, wanted a male heir and had an eye for the ladies, justifying for him his divorce from Queen Katherine and his marriage to the beautiful and young Anne Bullen. Shakespeare gives us reasons to think, however, that besides his romantic interests, he was on balance pretty reasonable. Their daughter Elizabeth becomes queen.

Katherine
Queen Katherine is Katherine of Aragon and is Henry VIII’s first wife. She was the widow of Henry VIII’s older brother Arthur who had died in 1502. Henry VIII then married Katherine in 1509 when he became king. Shakespeare has her showing real insight with issues surrounding Henry VIII, Buckingham, Wolsey and others. Cardinal Wolsey, eager to be Pope, has reason not to see her and the king divorce, she being the aunt to Charles V, the king of Spain and emperor of the Germanic Holy Roman Empire, known as Charles the Emperor. Norfolk says, “Like a jewel (she) has hung twenty years about his (the king’s) neck, yet never lost her luster.” Shakespeare gives us every reason to believe she was a wonderful person, making it difficult, we feel sure, for the public to accept the divorce.

Wolsey
Wolsey is Cardinal Wolsey, the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is also known as the Cardinal of York, Lord Chancellor, Cardinal York and Lord York. He is so close to the king that Norfolk calls him “The king-cardinal, that blind priest.” Wolsey abuses his powerful position and in the end loses favor with the king, losing favor when he fails to support the king’s planned divorce. Not supporting the king when you were a power player was not, as we might say, politically correct.

 A portrait of William Shakespeare