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How Does Cardinal Wolsey Present His Dismissal From The Court?

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In Shakespeare's "Henry VIII", Cardinal Wolsey details his dismissal from the court. Wolsey is vexed with the injustice done by his dismissal, as well as his own part in it, cursing his ambition for causing his current situation. Wolsey sees his dismissal as the ultimate disappointment. In his eyes, it was utterly unexpected and struck him at his peak. Even through his dismay, however, he does not solely throw responsibility on the king and views his dismissal as a result of his own pride, and the world/court's vanity. Shakespeare uses a myriad of metaphors, detailed imagery, and allusions to highlight Wolsey's dissatisfaction and self-scrutiny regarding his dismissal. From the start of his soliloquy, Cardinal Wolsey makes it obvious that he believes his dismissal was unjust and …show more content…

It is implied that he was in the prime of his position and attempting to accomplish bigger things for himself when, suddenly, "a killing frost" came upon him. Like a late-spring frost that "nips [the] root" of budding plants, Wolsey is stripped of his place in court just as he is 'budding'. Wolsey relates his greatness to a plant ripening just as the frost comes. The metaphor of a late-spring frost exemplifies how unexpected his dismissal was, and just how much it struck him off guard when he believed things to be looking up. Wolsey continues by relating himself to the "Wanton boys". By equating himself with boys who are rash and excitable, he provides a sense of humility and shifts the blame onto himself. Like a wanton boy, he swims out "on bladders... far beyond [his] depth". Wolsey implies that he has swum beyond his capabilities and that his position allows him to. He has overestimated himself and his abilities in search of glory, and has cut himself short in the process. Wolsey then relates the bladders the boys swim on to his "high-blown pride" that has broken under

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In Shakespeare’s Henry VIII, Cardinal Wolsey undergoes a series of tone changes while considering his sudden downfall from power. On a deeper level, however, the tone changes represent stages of loss; therefore, the soliloquy is an accurate account of how the Cardinal is psychologically affected by his downfall. Through several poetic devices such as allusion, figurative language and tone, Shakespeare explores Cardinal Wolsey’s immediate psychological effects due to a sudden fall from grace. The first tone established by the excerpt emphasizes that the Cardinal’s first response to his dismissal is anger, making readers doubt his intentions as a Cardinal.

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