Henry VIII | Study Guide

William Shakespeare

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Henry VIII | Infographic

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Check out this Infographic to learn more about William Shakespeare's Henry VIII. Study visually with character maps, plot summaries, helpful context, and more.

henry-viii-william-shakespeareSources: BBC News, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Poetry Foundation, Shakespeare Internet Editions, Shakespeare OnlineCopyright © 2017 Course Hero, Inc.Henry VIIIHeir-seeking King of England Anne BullenHenry’s second wife; produces a female heir, Elizabeth IBuckinghamExecuted for plotting against Henry VIII Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury; christens Elizabeth Anne Bullen, Act II, Scene III I swear, ’tis better to be lowly bornAnd range with humble livers in contentThan to be perked up in a glist’ring griefAnd wear a golden sorrow. erily,Henry VIIIby the NumbersWives Henry VIII had executed Wives Henry VIII had between 1509 and his death in 1547Year the Globe Theatre burned down after a cannon fired during a performance of Henry VIII English monarchs Henry VIII fathered: Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I3261613Henry VIII was first performed two years after Shakespeare’s “retirement” year of 1611 and may have been a collaboration between him and British playwright John Fletcher. Some critics find the work unusual because it differs from history plays full of battle, instead paying homage to Elizabeth I.WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE1564–1616WomenThe treatment of women ina male-dominated society is amain concern as women participate in royal successionand become queens. ProvidenceThe rise and fall of wives and advisers seems orchestrated by Providence to lead to Elizabeth I,a patron of Shakespeare. ReligionThe Church is a majorplayer in Henry VIII’s reign,but its representatives seemto lack piety.AccusationsAs characters fall out of the king’s favor, they are accused, tried, and punished, providentially making way for Elizabeth to come to power. PageantryA costume party, Katherine’sdream, and courtly rituals emphasize the contrast betweenthe public and private. Stage DirectionsThe long, detailed stagedirections show the importanceof ritual and order. MotifsAuthorThemesHenry VIII tells the story of the English king’s scandalous divorce fromhis Catholic first wife and how this intersects with his desire for an heir.As wives and advisers rise and fall in the king’s esteem, events move unwaveringly toward the birth and christening of Elizabeth, destined to become queen.Falling from GraceMAIN CHARACTERSKatherineHenry’s dignified first wife Cardinal WolseyScheming adviser to the king William Shakespeare1613EnglishPlay AuthorFirst PerformedOriginal LanguageHenry VIIIHistorical
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