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Essay on henry viii's 6 wives
Essay on henry viii and his six wives
A conclusion about Henry and his 6 wives
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King Henry the VIII can facilely be described as a man of countless mistresses’, a man of little virtue, and finally a man of six wives. Many people know or have heard the story of King Henry the VIII of England. For the most part, when people speak of him, they instantly cerebrate about his six wives, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Kathryn Howard, and lastly Katherine Parr. In addition to his wives, King Henry VIII was also widely known for his illimitable sexual affairs with his numerous mistresses, and rightfully so. Truth be told, he was well known for becoming tired very quickly with his wives and mistresses’. This comes as no surprise, all women, during his reign, desired to become one of King Henry the
The king’s mistress, Anne Boleyn was not considered to be “a great beauty” in fact, more often than not she looked rather sick due to her dull dark black hair and her extremely fair complexion. According to Erickson, Anne Boleyn also had a large mole on the back of her neck that her long, dark hair covered as well as an extensive bit of additional skin on her hand that developed into becoming a sixth finger. Be that as it may, paying little respect to her unattractive physical features, she was still one of the most desired and sought after women in England amid her time. She captivated the heart of King Henry the VIII with her exquisite sexuality, intelligences, and witty appeal. King Henry quickly became so charmed and infatuated with Anne that he demanded a dissolution of his previous marriage to Queen Catherine from the pope in light of the fact that she was not untouched by man when she had relations with King Henry, and in addition that God was punishing him for marrying his brother 's wife. An investigation took place and the Pope declared the marriage to be invalid. This left King Henry the VIII with no other alternative than to separate from the influences of the Pope and the Catholic Church and to make his own particular church, the Church of England, so he could marry Anna
Warnicke, Retha. "Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII." History Review 53 (2005): 51+. World History Collection. Web. 16 Nov. 2011.
Anne promised Henry that she would marry him and give him sons, something Catherine could not give. Henry. Henry decided he wanted a divorce from Catherine, however. they were hard to obtain and only the Pope could grant a divorce. However, the Pope refused Henry the divorce he wished.
“‘La magnificence et la galanterie n’ont jamais paru en France avec tant d’éclat que dans les dernières annèes du règne de Henri second.’ (p. 35)... However, this image of classical perfection is quickly fractured by the mention of the event that guides the life of the court-the passion of Henry II for the Duchesse de Valentinois Later in the narrative, the heroine, like the reader, asks for further explanation for this unusual passion between a woman not only much older than the king, but one who, in addition to having been Henry’s father’s mistress, also has several other lovers..” (Judovitz, 1038-1039)
First, it is important to get a background on Prince Henry and his lifestyle. He is not what you would consider a typical prince. Instead of making appearances as the royalty that he was, he would frequently be seen at the local bar drinking with the common folk. Due to his unacceptable behavior, he has acquired a bad reputation throughout the land, and even with his father, King Henry IV. His character is even further discredited because of the low-life drunks that are his friends. As you can see, Prince Henry is not as proper and well behaved as you would expect with nobility.
Henry's past is described by Ely and Canterbury, the two bishops. Canterbury quotes, "Since his addiction was to cause vain, His companies unletter'd, rude, and shallow, His hours filled with riots, banquets, sports; And never noted in him any study, And retirement any sequestration, From open haunts and popularity. " Ely says, "The strawberry grows underneath the nettle. " And wholesome berries thrive and ripen best.
Henry VIII did not set a good example in Elizabeth’s early years. Elizabeth was born to King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn on September 7, 1533. Henry had wanted a son so severely that he had had his previous wives beheaded since they gave him no sons (Eakins). Anne thought that she was expecting a boy, but sure enough, Elizabeth came out. This was somewhat of a disappointment to the King. In May of 1536 (Sparknotes), before Elizabeth was even three years old, Henry had Anne’s head cut off after he – possibly falsely – charged her with incest and adultery. Henry then remarried Jane Seymour who would soon expect a son. Jane died shortly after the birth of Edward VI. Katherine Parr was Elizabeth’s last stepmother as well as Henry’s sixth and final wife. Katherine had an older daughter than Elizabeth – Mary (Eakins). Henry VIII’s health was declining, however.
King Henry was once young and seemingly uninterested in his role as a future King of England. Many of Henry’s legendary and heroic traits did not originate in Henry V; instead, they appeared in previous Shakespearean plays including Henry IV. As the British heir apparent, young Henry was known as “Prince Hal, Henry, Harry, Prince Harry, Harry Monmouth, and the Prince of Wales” (Britannica). In Henry V, King Henry is this play’s main protagonist. Shakespeare’s audience briefly witnesses the gradual transformation of Henry from a youthful hell-raiser and playboy to a dignified King. Henry’s immature reputation is described by the Bishop of Canterbury when he says that “a heady currance scour[s] his faults” (I.i.36). In Henry IV, the audience is first introduced to Prince Hal, at his apartment in London and a cheap tavern called the Boar’s Head in Eastcheap, where the future King mingled and formed networks with drinking buddies. There he pla...
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.
On June 28th, 1491, a boy was born in Greenwich Palace to Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. (Scarisbrick 1968) They named their son Henry VIII, after Henry VII. Henry was the second of the four sons that Elizabeth and Henry would have but he was the only one to survive to adulthood. His older brother was Arthur, and his two sisters were Margaret and Mary, and they would be the only ones who survived infancy. However, every ruler has a weakness, and Henry’s was women. The impact of women on Henry would show, even in his reign as king.
Unfortunately, a papal dispensation is necessary. This dispensation is not easily obtained, especially since Catherine, the wife of Henry's older brother, had died. Therefore the marriage has never been valid and the request for a second dispensation is refused. This is the time when Henry had asked More for his approval, but More does not agree with the situation because it is against the law and his moral beliefs. As a consequence, more are sent to jail because these beliefs go against Henry orders.
In the Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Chaucer illustrates the different perspective between men and women on the concept of marriage and love. In The Wife of Bath’s tale, it is shown the woman appreciating marriage and wanting to be able to love a man unconditionally as where in The Miller’s Tale, love isn’t anything, but sex with the man in the story. In accordance with Chaucer, the complication with marriage is that men are consumed by sexual desire and are easily abused by women like The Wife of Bath. As noticed, The Miller’s Tale is all about adultery. “Just like men, the wives have secrets, as does God”, says the Miller. Both have information that the other do not know about that are sacred and better left unsaid.
An act of infidelity was no disgrace, always provided that one preserved the form of polite society…Any knight who contented himself with wedding a virgin before himself having grown practiced in adultery and carried off several trophies of the chase was unworthy of his spurs. Adultery was a social diversion for the upper classes. A knight had to have a lady whom he worshiped…Church and state tolerated the adulterous relationship…It was the thing to choose a celestial patroness…(1)
Though it is not said, Lord Henry obviously shows no concern for his wife. Essentially he sees his marriage to his wife as a responsibility, expectation, and obligation. He admits to having no desire to be married but likes the advantage of it that he is able to live a secret life that does not require obligation or expectations, especially from society. Society tells Lord Henry that he has to attend to his wife every once in awhile as if it was a chore being married to her. Not only that, but to continue to leave another life as long as you show forth your real masculine qualities by taking care of responsibilities such as family and domestic life. In his secret life he can go against the confinements of society and push the boundaries of gender role by acting as if he did not have a family he needs to care for. If it were not for the portrait of Dorian Gray, the topic of secrecy and obligations would not have come up. This is how Lord Henry is able to push past the gender role expectations he is confined
The world-renowned Canterbury Tales by the great Geoffrey Chaucer aims to magnify the controversial social injustices of gender roles in the medieval time period that consequently flow into today’s current modern society. One of the greatest social standing issues addressed throughout the poem includes the institution of marriage, and the particular viewpoint held by the character named the Wife of Bath. The Wife of Bath is notably shamed by her potential suitors and moralist peers, for her devious actions of taking advantage of her former husbands throughout her lengthy five marriages. However, Chaucer actually invites the audience to give a closer look at the overall flawed instuition of marriage
King Henry VIII didn’t even claim Queen Elizabeth I until she made it obvious that she was respectable at everything she did and was very intelligent to be so young. On top of all her knowledge, she was a girl and in that time period girls weren’t respected like they are today. Because Elizabeth’s mother, Anne, could not provide the King with a son she was executed on false charges of incest and adultery in 1536 on May nineteenth (“Queen Elizabeth I Biography”). Elizabeth was only three years old when her mother was accused of such actions. Following her mother’s death, Elizabeth went through countless step mothers. One of which giving the King his longed for son, King Edward VI (“Queen Elizabeth I Biography”). King Henry VIII married Jane Seymour twelve days after Elizabeth’s mothers’ execution. However, Jane passed away due to childbed fever ("Queen Elizabeth I: Biography, Portraits, Primary Sources."). It was Henry 's sixth and final wife, Katharine Parr, who had the greatest impact upon Elizabeth 's life. A kind woman who believed passionately in education and religious reform, it seemed as if Katharine was a devoted stepmother and took pride in helping Elizabeth further her