The Shakespeare Book

334

B

uckingham vents his anger

at Cardinal Wolsey’s pride

and ambition, displayed in

his extravagant celebration of a

hollow peace treaty with France.

But before he can denounce Wolsey

to the king, the cardinal lays false

accusations against him. The duke

is arrested. At the same time we

hear of the impending fall of Queen

Katherine who, a few scenes earlier,

had successfully intervened with

the king against harsh taxes

secretly imposed by Wolsey. The

crafty cardinal gives out that he

is responsible for this reprieve.

HENRY VIII

Katherine loses status when

Henry falls in love with Anne

Boleyn. Brought before a court

whose judges, especially Wolsey,

she denounces as biased, the

queen defends her marriage. In a

private meeting with Wolsey, she

continues her spirited defense, but

finally accepts defeat. Katherine’s

hostility toward Wolsey, however,

persists until her final hour, in exile

at Kimbolton. Having been told of

the cardinal’s death she gives a

scathing verdict of his character,

yet allows her gentleman usher to

enumerate his virtues.

DRAMATIS

PERSONAE

Henry VIII King of England.

Katherine of Aragon

Queen of England, later

Princess Dowager.

Cardinal Wolsey Archbishop

of York and Lord Chancellor.

Thomas Cromwell Wolsey’s

secretary.

Duke of Buckingham

A noble fiercely opposed

to Wolsey.

Duke of Norfolk A noble

more moderately opposed

to Wolsey.

Duke of Suffolk, Lord

Sands, Sir Thomas Lovell,

Sir Anthony Denny, Sir

Henry Guildford, Sir

Nicholas Vaux, the Lord

Chamberlain, and the

Lord Chancellor Nobles,

officials, and gentlemen of

the royal court.

Cardinal Campeius

Ambassador of the Pope.

Thomas Cranmer

A Protestant cleric, later

Archbishop of Canterbury.

Bishop of Lincoln

Cranmer’s colleague.

Stephen Gardiner

Henry’s new secretary, later

Bishop of Winchester.

Anne Boleyn Queen

Katherine’s maid of honor,

later Henry’s queen.

Griffith Katherine’s usher.

Old Lady Anne’s confidante.

1.4

2.2

1.1

1.2

2.3

Henry dances with

Anne Boleyn at Wolsey’s

banquet and kisses her.

He is entranced.

Resenting Wolsey’s

ambition, Buckingham

plans to denounce

him to Henry, but

the cardinal will

bring him

down first.

Katherine asks Henry

to rescind the

damaging taxes

imposed by Wolsey.

Anne pities

Katherine and denies

any ambitions of her

own, but then is

made Marchioness

of Pembroke.

Buckingham is sent

to be executed.

Rumors reveal Henry’s

wish to separate from

Queen Katherine, for

which Wolsey is blamed.

Act 1 Act 2