Thomas Cromwell is, of course, the heart and soul of Wolf Hall, and Hilary Mantel tells the story through his eyes.
The most central relationship in Wolf Hall is between Cromwell and the King Henry VIII. Mark Rylance talks about Henry VIII in a recent Telegraph article: “He has very complicated patterns in his mind, which Cromwell tries to guide and deal with.’ Rylance laughs. ‘Sometimes you felt a bit like a psychiatrist, playing Cromwell.’
As Cromwell constantly tries to understand Henry so that he can guide and deal with him, I want to showcase Henry VIII today in Hilary Mantel’s brilliant words complete with my own over-analysis of my favorite Tudor 🙂
Here’s a very brief Wolf Hall clip with Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell:
The King says : “Who says I shouldn’t employ the son of an honest blacksmith? …Everything that you have will come from me.”
This is an all-powerful, controlling, ruthless, god-like King. Continue reading “Henry the God-like King vs Henry the Tender Man”
