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Henry VIII accomplishments / contributions
Renaissance in england
Renaissance in england
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King Henry VIII was not only a major component of England’s governmental structure, but was also an integral part of English Renaissance literature. From writing love poems to participating in literary endeavors, King Henry VIII revolutionized literature in England all while running the country. His humanist ideals and youthful, energetic personality provided a refreshing change of pace from the previous king, which resulted in the trust and support of his people. While his life was what modern society considers short, King Henry VIII changed the face of literature and government in England.
Born Henry Tudor on June 28, 1491, he was the second son of King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth. He was a young king, only 18, when he took the throne after his father’s passing. He was the first well-educated English monarch, who spoke many languages including French, Italian, Spanish, and Latin. He was many things including an accomplished musician, writer, and poet. He surpassed at jousting and hunting, using them not only as pastimes but also as political devices. Even though he possessed great qualities, he was also a very powerful man with his own strong will; his overpowering charm, could turn into anger and shouting for he was high strung and unstable; he also was neurotic and controlled by a strong sense of cruelty. Crowned on June 24, 1509, King Henry VIII’s accession to the throne was warmly welcomed due to the differences between him and the late king. “The English were generally tired of the late king’s tightfisted manner and dour court” (Herman 7). During this time, the Reformation had finally begun in England. A dispute between King Henry VIII and the Pope had been based upon the assumption that the king was a “national stallion...
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...s of books, plays, poems, and pamphlets. While King Henry VIII may not have had the best characteristics or not always completely thought through his actions, there was no doubt that he was a leader all his life.
Works Cited
“Henry VIII.” Britannica School. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2014. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.
Herman, Peter C. “Henry VIII.” Sixteenth Century British Nondramatic Writers: First Series. Ed. David A. Richardson. Detroit: Gale Research, 1993. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 132. Literature Resource Center. Web. 17 March. 2014.
“Protestantism.” Britannica School. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2014. Web. 17 March. 2014.
Speake, Jennifer, and Thomas G. Bergin. "Henry VIII." Encyclopedia of Renaissance and the Reformation, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2004. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 31 March. 2014.
For hundreds of years, those who have read Henry V, or have seen the play performed, have admired Henry V's skills and decisions as a leader. Some assert that Henry V should be glorified and seen as an "ideal Christian king". Rejecting that idea completely, I would like to argue that Henry V should not be seen as the "ideal Christian king", but rather as a classic example of a Machiavellian ruler. If looking at the play superficially, Henry V may seem to be a religious, moral, and merciful ruler; however it was Niccolo Machiavelli himself that stated in his book, The Prince, that a ruler must "appear all mercy, all faith, all honesty, all humanity, [and] all religion" in order to keep control over his subjects (70). In the second act of the play, Henry V very convincingly acts as if he has no clue as to what the conspirators are planning behind his back, only to seconds later reveal he knew about their treacherous plans all along. If he can act as though he knows nothing of the conspirators' plans, what is to say that he acting elsewhere in the play, and only appearing to be a certain way? By delving deeper into the characteristics and behaviors of Henry V, I hope to reveal him to be a true Machiavellian ruler, rather than an "ideal king".
After many failed attempts to obtain a divorce from his first wife Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII took momentous steps that led to "The Reformation," a significant occurrence in the history of religion. Prior to the reformation, all of England's inhabitants including King Henry VIII prescribed to Catholicism. In fact, King Henry VIII was such a strong supporter that he was given the title "Defender of the Faith" by the pope for his efforts in protecting Catholicism against the Protestants. However, all these changed upon the pope's denial of Henry's request for a divorce.
When we look at Henry as a king we have to look in the context of
The father and son relationship is one of the most important aspects through the youth of a young man. In Shakespeare’s play Henry IV, he portrays the concept of having "two fathers". King Henry is Hal’s natural father, and Falstaff is Hal’s moral father. Hal must weigh the pros and cons of each father to decide which model he will emulate. Falstaff, who is actually Hal’s close friend, attempts to pull Hal into the life of crime, but he refuses.
Henry V is not a simple one as it has many aspects. By looking into
Henry in Henry V The bishops refer to Henry in the first scene as "a sudden scholar" who can "reason in divinity. " Canterbury says, "The king is full of grace, and fair regard. Ely quotes "and a true lover of the holy church. The two bishops, pretty much have the same view on Henry, they think highly of him.
King Henry VIII was one of the most powerful rulers of 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. Few people know about his life and what he truly contributed to our world. Henry VIII was an almighty leader of England who won’t soon be forgotten. Henry VIII was born in Greenwich, England on June 28, 1491.
...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.
To turn Henry V into a play glorifying war or a play condemning war would be to presume Shakespeare's intentions too much. He does both of these and more in his recount of the historical battle of Agincourt. Although Shakespeare devotes the play to the events leading to war, he simultaneously gives us insight into the political and private life of a king. It is this unity of two distinct areas that has turned the play into a critical no man's land, "acrimoniously contested and periodically disfigured by opposing barrages of intellectual artillery" (Taylor 1). One may believe that Henry is the epitome of kingly glory, a disgrace of royalty, or think that Shakespeare himself disliked Henry and attempted to express his moral distaste subtly to his audience. No matter in which camp one rests, Henry V holds relevance for the modern stage. Despite containing contradictions, Henry is also a symbol as he is one person. This unity of person brings about the victory in the battle of Agincourt.
Shakespeare has twisted our thinking so it seems Henry is truly the ideal Christian King. For example Henry’s Christian virtues are strongly highlighted in his own thoughts spoken out loud before the battle of Agincourt. Also he is more concerned about his country and what must be completed as a king. This is also a tremendous characteristic of a leader and this would add warmth of the character of Henry and his image of being the ideal king.
One of the most famous scenes in Henry IV: Part I is the scene in which Prince Hal and Falstaff put on a play extempore. This is often cited as the most famous scene because it is Hal’s turning point in the play. However, the scene is much more than that. The play extempore is a moment of prophecy, not epiphany because is cues the reader in to the play’s major themes, and allows readers to explore the possibilities of the play’s continuance.
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...
He was a human that had emotions, he experienced grief with the multiple miscarriages and deaths of his sons and the betrayals of his wife’s, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard. Also the death of Jane Seymour, the only wife to give him a male heir, brought him into a depression. These events changed Henry’s perspective of his own self, that he was without a legal heir, his health was horrendous and he was being betrayed by those closest to him. Lipscomb describes the transformation of Henry from the popular prince to the tyrant king know today. As shown, “the last decade of his reign, Henry VIII had begun to act as a tyrant. The glittering, brilliant monarch of the accession, toppled into old age by betrayal, aggravated into irascibility and suspicion as a result of ill health and corrupted by absolute power, had become a despot”. Henry is not thought of as the good Christian, but Lipscomb writes throughout this book that Henry was very serious about his religious affiliations. Lipscomb portrays Henry VIII as, “a man of strong feeling but little emotional intelligence, willful and obstinate but also fiery and charismatic, intelligent but blinkered, attempting to rule and preserve his honor against his profound sense of duty and heavy responsibility to fulfil his divinely ordained role”. In other words he was an emotional mess that did not know what to do with his feelings, so he bottled them up and south to seek
Passage Analysis - Act 5 Scene 1, lines 115-138. Shakespeare’s ‘King Henry IV Part I’ centres on a core theme: the conflict between order and disorder. Such conflict is brought to light by the use of many vehicles, including Hal’s inner conflict, the country’s political and social conflict, the conflict between the court world and the tavern world, and the conflicting moral values of characters from each of these worlds. This juxtaposition of certain values exists on many levels, and so is both a strikingly present and an underlying theme throughout the play.
Greaves, Richard L. “Tudor, House of.” World Book Advanced. World Book, 2014. Web. 6 Feb.