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Similarities Between King Henry Viii And Cardinal Wolsey

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In the opening scene of the first act of Shakespeare's King Henry VIII, the Duke of Norfolk and the Duke of Buckingham discuss the political state of England, introducing King Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey as major characters that will be at the forefront of the developing plot. Buckingham speaks of Wolsey very negatively in a passage after Wolsey passes by, insulting him and declaring that he will bring Wolsey's treachery to the king. In this passage Shakespeare depicts Wolsey as scheming and power-hungry to tell the narrative of evil counselors corrupting good monarchs and promote the concept that the king should be more independent as a way of flattering King James I while criticizing his counselor Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury. The …show more content…

"Yea" was inserted into the line to both follow iambic pentameter and also to affirm and emphasize the duality of impact between his position of power and dishonest mind. This line suggests that Wolsey is a substandard counselor who corrupts the good that King Henry VIII would …show more content…

Shakespeare's comparison of Wolsey to a fox also alludes to Cecil, as his nickname was "The Fox" as well. By using Cecil's nickname to describe Wolsey, Shakespeare shifted the play to the context of his time, drawing a line between the two counselors. Wolsey was disliked by the people and enacted taxes that the public disliked; Cecil was ill-regarded among the common people and blamed for many taxes and fees enacted to balance James I's excessive spending. Shakespeare did not outright insult Cecil in King Henry VIII, but used word choice to indicate that Cecil wasn't completely honest and that he is to blame for James I's bad decisions. While that wasn't completely true, it was hinted at to flatter James I and his

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During the time of the Revolutionary War, multiple people rose above the crowd and became a key face in history. However, two men influenced the enraged and dauntless spirits of the citizens of America to be used in a fight for respect and freedom. While Patrick Henry ignited the revolting flames against Britain in his audience at the Virginia Convention, Thomas Paine prepared the patriots to free America from her tyrannical hold over their independence. Using rhetorical questions, allusions, and juxtaposition, both Henry and Paine succeeded in creating speeches that invoked patriotism and the will to fight for freedom into their respective audiences.

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854 Words | 4 Pages

The implication is that the people are being ruled. Henry used his skills in speech to persuade the Council or Parliament that trying to rule over others was wrong. He spoke out against the way things had always been done and

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“My country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.” The “I Have a dream” speech and the “Speech to the Virginia Convention” or the “Give me Liberty or Give me Death” speech are pieces of text with metaphors,repetition, reference and advanced language to explicate the fault or meaning of their situation. Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Patrick Henry have a way of informing their audience the way they are living currently living is unfair and their society should make a change. On the other hand, Martin Luther King is using non violence for equality and to stop segregation while Patrick Henry is telling his speech for liberty and freedom from Great Britain.

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682 Words | 3 Pages

The Reformation was a time in Europe in the 1500s in which people questioned the beliefs of the Catholic Church. There were many changes made by the catholic church. The people that were responsible were Martin Luther, John Calvin and King Henry VIII. The Protestant Reformation of 16th century Europe was primarily the result of three men and their disagreements with the Catholic Church; Martin Luther, John Calvin, and King Henry VIII forever changed the religious landscape of Europe.

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183 Words | 1 Pages

In Shakespeare's play Henry VIII, Cardinal Wolsey reflects on his sudden downfall from power and uses various literary techniques to convey his complex response to his dismissal from court. He begins his speech by using a metaphor of a plant to convey the fragility of human life and the inevitability of his own downfall. He also uses figurative language, such as describing his pride as "high-blown," to emphasize his recklessness and lack of foresight. Wolsey's tone shifts from bitterness and contempt towards the spokesmen to mournfulness and resignation as he recognizes the futility of his past ambition and the emptiness of his former position. He acknowledges that he was "far beyond my depth" and compares himself to "little wanton boys that

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866 Words | 4 Pages

In words, there is such a powerful emotion and power. Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Patrick Henry used them to express how they feel throughout their letters and speeches. King fought for freedom and equality between races. The people let it happen, and he has made a huge impact on that. Patrick Henry fought for freedom and liberty.

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1050 Words | 5 Pages

Some playwrights choose to write plays about historical events, among them there is The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, a play that describes the downfall of the rule of Julius Caesar, but is also a play that is not as truthful as it first impressionably is, a complete truthful account of Julius Caesar’s assassination and the events leading up to it. In order to greater attract the audience, Shakespeare, along with other playwrights, relied on adding historical inaccuracies to add the necessary suspense. Thus, Shakespeare strayed away from historical events occurring during Caesar’s lifetime, implementing inaccuracy into the story. Shakespeare based one of his most well-known plays, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, on historical events that includes

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480 Words | 2 Pages

In this speech, from William Shakespeare's Henry VIII, Cardinal Wolsey addresses his sudden downfall as adviser to the king. Shakespeare describes how Wolsey feels as he found out the news. Moreover, he shows the anger and disappointment one could feel when it’s unexpected. Wolsey’s monologue reveals both his anger and lamentation as he struggles to understand why this downfall has occurred. Shakespeare portrays Wolsey’s farewell with allusions and figurative language, accompanied by a vengeful tone.

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1093 Words | 5 Pages

Shakespeare’s play, Henry V, portrays the newly crowned king of England, King Henry V, as a committed, fearless, and relentless leader. France is England’s archenemy and their relationship only worsens after the Dauphin delivers a mocking message to England’s new king. The Dauphin frequently ridicules the English and King Henry, whereas, the King of France, Charles VI, does not underestimate Henry and his people as his son does. (Source B) Throughout the play, the two leaders display their differences in terms of personality, leadership, communication skills, and ethics.

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502 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout his speech, Henry used figures of speech to engage his audience. One example of this is the phrase “Suffer not yourselves be betrayed with a kiss”, by this he meant that he hoped that his American comrades would not be fooled by the British and their false promises. These figures of speech, especially figurative language, were used to persuade the audience into turning against the British.

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The first Reformation of the 16th century, began with Martin Luther with the publication of his great, influential work, The Ninety-Five Theses. Luther’s mission to reform the Church and dispose of the corruption of priests and the sale of indulgences, inspired others such as lawyer-turned-reform advocate and preacher, John Calvin to act in the name of what he believed to be righteous. The ideals of the Reformations presented first by Luther, and then modified through the separate branch of Calvinism began a chain-reaction, motivating King Henry VIII to make use of the changing religious ideals to extend his political power. In this essay, the similarities and differences between the Calvinist Reformation of Geneva and Henry VIII’s Reformation

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833 Words | 4 Pages

Task 2 - Informative Essay Intro: hook, quote, then thesis Body 1: Life Henry VIII was born on June 28, 1491, in Greenwich. Henry presided over the beginnings of the English Renaissance and the English Reformation. Henry VIII was the second son of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Henry’s personality included a lot of intelligence, learning,and curiosity which impressed the ambassadors that were in his court.

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Peter the Great and Louis XIV were both the greatest rulers of their times. Both of them were autocrats having unlimited power and on the contrary both of them were absolutists. Louis XIV was the ruler of France and nicknamed “The Sun King” and Peter the Great was the ruler of Russia. Although Peter the Great and Louis XIV has some different successes, they had several noticeable similarities such as power, buildings, and armies/economical growths. Peter the Great and Louis XIV had similar successes in their famous buildings.

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Honor in Shakespeare’s Play Henry IV, Act One (The View of Honor in the Eyes of Falstaff and Hotspur in Shakespeare’s Play Henry IV, Act One) In Shakespeare’s play, Henry IV, Part One, two characters define what honor is to them. Hotspur and Falstaff are two different characters completely, one is a son of a nobleman and the other is a thief. Hotspur is son to Earl of Northumberland, making him the heir as well, the nephew of Earl of Worcester, and a good warrior too. The real name of Hotspur is Harry Percy, a member of the Percy family, which helped King Henry IV gain his power.

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1304 Words | 6 Pages

Edward II was born on April 25, 1284. He was born at Caernafon Castle in Wales. On July 7, 1307, when his father, Edward I died, he became a new king. In history Edward II is known as someone who had been spending most of his time as a young man in gambling and luxury. He also loved music and dancing and he enjoyed in watching plays, as Gaveston mentioned in Marlowe’s play: “I must have wanton Poets, pleasant wits, Musitians, that with touching of a string May draw the pliant king which way I please: Musicke and poetrie is his delight;” ( Marlowe, line 51-54, 1594) These are definitely signs of a cultured man.

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