Henry VIII | Henry (King Henry VIII of England)
Henry VIII is not so much the story of Henry the man, as it is the story of what happens in the kingdom while Henry is king. It begins with Henry's spectacular visit of state to Francis I of France, and ends thirteen years later with the christening of his daughter Elizabeth. The play is foremost a celebration of the Tudor dynasty, which begins with Henry's father and culminates in Queen Elizabeth I and her heir, James Stuart.
Behind the events of this celebratory play looms Henry: royal, benevolent, and beyond the reach of fortune. In Shakespeare's time, it was believed that...
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