Taken place in the sixteenth century, in Shakespeare’s play, “King Henry VIII”, Cardinal Wolsey's soliloquy reveals a range of complex emotions, including righteousness, disdain, and a lack of apathy, as demonstrated through his tone, diction, and use of allusion. Following his dismissal from the royal court, Wolsey expresses his righteousness through hostile diction in the text, “A long farewell to all my greatness!”, symbolically placing himself on a pedestal and expressing his belief that the court will falter without him. He portrays his anger at being stripped of his prestigious role and forced into a more common position by stating, “The tender leaves of hope, to-morrow blossoms, and bears his blushing honors thick upon him, — His greatness