History In Mantel's Wolf Hall

In Wolf Hall, Mantel alludes to other forms of history in order to demonstrate the progressiveness of time and how every series of events influences the next. By referencing specific examples, it becomes clear to the reader that everything that is being detailed before them, regarding Henry’s desire to divorce Katherine and marry Anne with Cromwell’s intent to make it so, is as a result of past actions, and the actions of Cromwell, the Cardinal and Thomas More alike will, and did, go on to affect the future of England.
This is particularly potent when considering the novel’s end in which Cromwell has reached his peak in terms of influence and power, and yet the reader’s historical perspective awards them the knowledge of his later downfall that follows shortly afterwards. This therefore indicates that the novel acts simply as a snapshot in the never-ending progression of

This leads to Simonides finding himself outside when the roof of the banquet hall collapses, as if Simonides’ boldness saved his life. This calls into question the actions of Cromwell and other historical figures in history who dutifully served masters, no matter their requests, but more importantly, the passage describes how Simonides “remembered exactly where everyone was sitting, a the moment the roof fell in.”3 Whilst in this instance the expression is used literally, it can easily be seen as one that is transferrable to other events metaphorically throughout history where something momentous has happened and the exact details recorded and preserved for the understanding of future generations. This historical allusion highlights the importance of such a practice, and in Wolf Hall we watch Cromwell’s rise to power thanks to documentation of those present at the time and also the employability of some poetic licence by