Unquestionably, modern film has taken enormous lengths to portray England’s King Henry VIII as a tyrannical monarch with an overwhelming libido who had absolute power over his realm; however, the true nature of the infamous king and his power over his nation are far more intriguing than cinema is capable of portraying. In reality, the power enjoyed by England’s most infamous monarch varied throughout his reign. Additionally, his power was easily manipulated by various courtiers or even his most personal advisors. Furthermore, the amount of influence exhibited over the monarch varied according to the individual motives of the courtier and the year in the king’s reign. In the early years of King Henry’s reign, the king was more preoccupied with enjoying the benefits of fame and power than with ruling his country. During this period, the king was young, energetic, athletic, and quite happy to embrace these qualities of youth. Unfortunately, this left a rather large void in terms of governing England. Into this void, stepped his most trusted advisor, Cardinal Wolsey. Wolsey, during the early years of King Henry’s reign, enjoyed an immense amount of power and influence over many different arenas of English society. He served in several different church positions, much to his contemporaries char grin, and he served as the Lord Chancellor of England from 1515 onwards until his eventual fall from the King’s grace. These positions rewarded Wolsey with an immense amount of influence over the young King Henry VIII and his power. As the king was preoccupied with his youth, he was quite happy letting the cardinal act in his stead. As one can well imagine, letting another act in one’s stead had a detrimental effect on the king’s power.... ... middle of paper ... ... his ruthlessness steadily progressed throughout his reign. Additionally, what begin as a likeable young king grew into a powerful tyrant who would leave England upon his death with a lasting legacy of cruelty, depravity, and the true perils of power. Unquestionably, King Henry VIII’s power is with the modern world still as it shaped the course of English history up to and including the present. Bibliography Bucholz, Robert, and Newton Key. Early Modern England 1485-1714 a Narrative History. Chichester: Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2009. Clarke, Peter. "Canterbury as the New Rome: Dispensations and Henry VIII's Reformation." The Journal of Ecclesiastical History 64, no. 1 (2013): 20-44. Ives, E.W. "Henry VIII's Will: The Protectorate Provisions of 1546-7." The Historical Journal 37, no. 4 (1994): 901-14. Mantel, Hilary. Bring up the Bodies. New York: Picador, 2013.
When we look at Henry as a king we have to look in the context of
Burns, William E."Britain in the Late Middle Ages, 1272–1529." A Brief History of Great Britain, Brief History. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2010. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
When Henry took the throne, he gave most of the responsibility to Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. He did this because as a 17 year old boy, he felt he wasn’t ready for all of that responsibility at once (Sommerville). Even though he was king, he had no desire to know the everyday problems of England. One of Henry’s biggest accomplishments as king was implementing a naval fleet. He tried to get England to fight with Scotland and France (Scarisbrick 738).
The first chapter; Dramatis Personae, looks at the moments immediately before Edward VI’s accession where Henry VIII had left an enthusiastic council to look over his son Edward. With Edward Seymour recognised as Lord Protector, government set about pursuing a religious revolution whilst also creating the boy King into a deeply religious, well-educated man that was significant and respected.
Henry II was known as one of England’s greatest kings. Along with being king of England, he was also Count of Anjou, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Duke of Normandy, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland, and controlled little bits of Western France and Scotland. He was most famous for his legal administrative systems, his long disputes with the Church, and his dramatic turmoil with his family. One of his greatest quotes was, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?”
Bucholz, Robert, and Newton Key. Early Modern England 1485-1714 A Narrative History. Chichester: Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 2009.
Kamps, Ivo. "Possible Pasts: Historiography and Legitimation in Henry VIII." College English 58: 2 (February 1996): 192-216.
King Henry VIII was one of the most powerful rulers in the fifteenth century, who had a very captivating life many people are not aware of. Most people know Henry VIII as a berserk king with too many wives, but there is more to Henry VIII than that. Many few people know about his life and what he truly contributed to our world. Henry VIII was an almighty leader in England who won’t soon be forgotten.
...der to maintain success. King Henry showed that he is restricted to one language which resulted him to not gain the lower class power and it then lead him to focus on his political status. On the other hand, Hal presented himself to the viewers as a friendly character, yet he sustained to manipulate and lie to others to achieve his goals. Henry IV n, Part 1 presents the idea of political power and the different characteristics leaders follow. The lesson for audiences, then, is to develop relationships with different people who will expand one’s area of inspiration and the ability to advance success. One can learn from the mistakes of King Henry and remember to be visible and properly positioned, so society can see one’s strengths and talents.
When one thinks of Henry the eighth the first thing that comes up is fat, wife-killer, meat eater, old, mean and overall horrendous. But almost no one refers to him as misunderstood, manipulated or young man who was not meant to be King of England. This is how Suzannah Lipscomb portrays Henry VIII in her book, 1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII, King Henry faces many tribulations in 1536 that shaped the rest of his reign; from his marriages, injuries, heirs, to his influence in the European spectrum.
Wright, Glenn. “Christianity and Romance in Medieval England”, English Studies, 93:1, 106-107. 2012. DOI: 10.1080/0013838X.2011.638447
The Holy Roman Empire was an empire in central Europe consisting of many territories and ethnicities. Once very powerful, the empire’s authority slowly decreased over centuries and by the Middle Ages the emperor was little more than a figurehead, allowing princes to govern smaller sections of the empire. Though the various ruling princes owed loyalty to the emperor, they were also granted a degree of independence and privileges. The emperor, an elected monarch, needed the allegiance of the princes and other aristocracy to support him, in turn giving them power or money. This tenuous allegiance between powers was greatly strained in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries as religious reform dominated Europe and religious tensions divided the empire. Beginning in the sixteenth century, the empire’s power significantly declined because of the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation split the empire’s states into Protestant and Catholic divisions, straining the peace between territories. Though the relationship between the princes and the emperor had already been tenuous, the princes, seeing the religious divisions, sensed weakness in the empire and further challenged imperial authority. The Holy Roman emperors battled Protestant princes in Germany into the seventeenth century, where tensions were still high from the Reformation and wars of religion – initially contained to the German territories – began to include other territories and states. As more European states joined the conflict, the Holy Roman Empire continued to deteriorate. From the early sixteenth to the mid seventeenth century, the Holy Roman Empire’s power declined greatly because of its internal religious rifts, conflicts (in particular the Thirty Years War, whic...
Henry V is not a simple one as it has many aspects. By looking into
Henry IV is a play that concerns itself with political power and kingship in English history. References to kingship are prevalent throughout the play, especially in the depiction of the characters. Although most of the characters in this play could teach us about kingship, I would like to focus my attention to Prince Henry. I think that this character helps us to best understand what kingship meant at this particular time in history.
Burns, Julia. "Notes MLA 6318". Church and State in Early Modern England. Fall 2013. Dr. D. David.