The world of arts

King Henry VIII:

Did he really wed six wives?

The birth and death anniversary of William Shakespeare is on April 23:

GWEN HERAT

That is what Shakespeare said but I cannot connect history with it except for Katherine of Aragon who was his brother’s widow and was his first queen and her maid of honour, Anne Bullen whom he married after divorcing Katherine. King Henry fathered Princess Elizabeth with Bullen who later became Queen Elizabeth I.

King Henry VIII, father to Queen Elizabeth I.

Shakespeare worked mainly on tragedies in the first eight years of the new century when English history no longer figured in his works except for King Lear which he based in Britain though politically the play proved awkward. But Shakespeare continued to write with history in a broader sense.

We must remember that Shakespeare chose to be himself when he wrote histories throwing caution to the wind, with lapses and irrelevance when he was unable to tie up the loose knots. He was not the perfect historian that people want to believe but then, he was very familiar with Greek, Roman, English classics which made him come off brilliantly in writing histories.

THE DRAMA

Henry VIII was written in 1612-13 and sited in London, Westminster and Kimbolton when Henry ruled from 1509 to 1547. In the play, the Duke of Buckingham is condemned to execution on charges of high treason raised by Cardinal Wolsey while Henry VIII is dancing with Anne Bullen, Queen Katherine’s Maid of Honour whom he is about to wed. The ball takes place at Cardinal Wolsey’s mansion in London. The charges at the inquiry are to stop Henry’s impending marriage to Bullen.

Lord Buckingham:

‘All good people

You, that thus far have come to pity me

Hear what I say, and then go home and lose me

I have this day received a traitor’s judgement

And by that name I must die; yet, Heaven bear witness

And if I have conscience, let it sink me

Even as the axe falls, if I be not faithful

The law I bear no malice for my death,

It has done upon the premises but justice

But those that sought it I could wish more Christians

Be what they will, I heartily forgive them.

Yet let them look they glory not in mischief

Nor build their evils on the graves of great men

For them by guiltless blood must cry against them...’

Act II Scene I

Wolsey also works against Queen Katherine and she leaves the court at Blackfriars to appeal to the Pope. However, the King discovers Wolsey’s efforts to stop him from marrying Anne Bullen which leads to his dismissal after more evidence of intrigue are discovered.

The King marries Bullen secretly and is crowned Queen. Katherine hears of the death of her enemy, Cardinal Wolsey also dies in Kimbolten.

‘At length her grace rose and with modest peace

Came to the altar where she kneel’d, and saint-like

Cast her fair eyes to heaven, and pray’d devoutly.

Then rose again, and bow’d her to the people

When by the Archbishop of Canterbury,

She had all the makings of a queen.

As holy oil, Edward Confessor’s crown

The red and bird of peace and all such emblems

Laid nobly on her, which performed the choir...

Act IV Scene I

Gardiner, the malicious Bishop of Winchester attempts to bring Crammer who is the new Bishop of Canterbury but the King intervenes.

Crammer who is the God father of their child, Elizabeth, prophises that she will be ‘a pattern to all princess’.

A play of melancholy that is set off by its ceremonies, more pomp than anything, Shakespeare used its plot as a pageant for celebration. The play has also been a cause for disaster. A fire caused by the discharge of stage cannon with Henry’s entry to Wolsey’s masque, destroyed the first Globe Theatre on Bankside, Southwark during its performance on June 29, 1613.

Thomas Betterson played the King in 1708 before he died.

In New York in 1916 Sybil Thorndike was a magnificent Katherine while in 1925 at the Empire, few people noticed a fresher called Laurence Olivier playing a small part as First Serving Man. Olivier rose to be one of the greatest Thespians and a forceful Shakespearean character. As Sadler’s Wells in 1933 a mild stir was caused by another great Thespian, Charles Laughton playing the King.

In 1949 at Stratford another great characterisation took place when the very talented Flora Robson brought to life Katherine. King Henry VIII was so popular a play that it kept continuing on stage year after year with the Old Vic and Stratford mounting it, The Royal Shakespeare Company too had its version in 1983-4 while in 1946, Margaret Webster directed her own version in New York.

CHIEF CHARACTERS

Henry VIII - Shakespeare’s special attention to this character made it possible for great actors to recreate what was on his mind when he scripted the multi-married royal.

Queen Katherine - Henry’s first wife, widowed by his older brother. A queen of great resilience, courage who bore up the misery caused by Henry in divorcing her. She dies of a broken heart.

Anne Bullen - Katherine’s beautiful Maid of Honour for whose charms the king gets passionately involved. He marries her secretly and is crowned queen.

Cardinal Wolsey - A character, exorbitant in arrogance to stop the King from marrying Bullen fails and falls out of favour with the King.

Crammer - The Archbishop of Canterbury who is at the centre of controversy created by Gardiner and Henry saves him from a situation.

The Archbishop delivers the christening eulogy on Princess Elizabeth who one day will be Queen Elizabeth I.

Cromwell - A loyal and sympathetic listener, serves the King after being in Wolsey’s service.

Griffith - Queen Katherine’s ever faithful gentleman-usher at Kimbolton, stays by her side unto the end.