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ramblingbard's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
danilanglie's review against another edition
4.0
It was bizarre when baby Elizabeth was born in this play, because it really felt like coming full circle. We made it to Shakespeare's present day, as told by the man himself!
As for my thoughts... I liked this play, but I can see why maybe it isn't considered one of the greats. When you look at the shape of the text as a whole, it's kind of sloppy. What is the point of this play? Is it about the Cardinal Wolsey being a traitor? Or is it about the unprecedented move of the king divorcing his wife? Or is it about Anne and Henry VIII's marriage and the birth of Elizabeth? It's kind of awkward because we know what happens next - Henry doesn't stop at Anne. There's a great deal of censoring going on here, for good reason, but when you look at this play, it's hard to identify a central theme or idea.
When it comes to the language, though, I think this play is one for actors to mark when looking for dramatic monologues! So many powerful moments. From Katherine and Wolsey especially. Really beautiful, lush, complex language. A pleasure to read.
I'm really zooming through these plays at this point... the end of my quest is nigh!
As for my thoughts... I liked this play, but I can see why maybe it isn't considered one of the greats. When you look at the shape of the text as a whole, it's kind of sloppy. What is the point of this play? Is it about the Cardinal Wolsey being a traitor? Or is it about the unprecedented move of the king divorcing his wife? Or is it about Anne and Henry VIII's marriage and the birth of Elizabeth? It's kind of awkward because we know what happens next - Henry doesn't stop at Anne. There's a great deal of censoring going on here, for good reason, but when you look at this play, it's hard to identify a central theme or idea.
When it comes to the language, though, I think this play is one for actors to mark when looking for dramatic monologues! So many powerful moments. From Katherine and Wolsey especially. Really beautiful, lush, complex language. A pleasure to read.
I'm really zooming through these plays at this point... the end of my quest is nigh!
kikalox's review against another edition
4.0
I was gonna give it 3stars but it deserves five solely for the epilogue! I spent the entire book thinking "Oh my god why doesn't Katherine get enough recognition? She is truly remarkable!"...and then I went to the epilogue and sure enough there it was "the only ones who will clap are the empathetic women, who saw one of their kind in the face of Katherine"...
SHOOK
Either I'm really predictable, OR
Shakespeare is a genius. He knew how I would react to his play, a play he wrote 400 years ago... I've never been so connected to a writer
SHOOK
Either I'm really predictable, OR
Shakespeare is a genius. He knew how I would react to his play, a play he wrote 400 years ago... I've never been so connected to a writer
pceboll's review against another edition
challenging
2.5
I was expecting to really dislike this one...don't get me wrong this play is bbboorrriiinnnggg but Queen Katherine's scenes were truly gripping and iconic. 2.5 stars.
dkrane's review against another edition
2.0
Easily the worst Shakespeare play that I've read (although, to be fair, experts think a lot of it wasn't written by Shakespeare.) The writing is pretty much all plot, which means there aren't any many passages that stand out for their beauty. The characters are pretty flat, and the plot doesn't even tell very much of Henry VIII's reign. It's an interesting pair to read with Hillary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell trilogy, which provides a very different perspective on the same events, but those books are far superior to this one.
flippyjones's review against another edition
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
katescholastica's review against another edition
2.0
I mean….. it’s definitely a play. And it exists. If Shakespeare had social media this would definitely be a sponsored piece somehow.
duffypratt's review against another edition
2.0
Imagine doing a history of Henry VIII and ignoring almost everything that he is most famous for. The six wives - two of whom he had beheaded. The executions of Thomas Moore and Thomas Cromwell. The pillaging of the Catholic Church and abbeys in England.
This play ignores all of that, and instead makes a huge deal of Henry and Anne Boleyn because they produced Elizabeth. Other than that, this is an episodic mess. And worse, what we do get are largely the preludes or postludes to events. The events themselves - e.g. the execution of Buckingham, the death of Wolsey - are merely retold.
Once again, I need to remind myself not to save a writer's worst works for last. After this, I only had Merry Wives of Windsor and Cymbeline to read (and I've since finished Windsor, which wasn't much better).
This play ignores all of that, and instead makes a huge deal of Henry and Anne Boleyn because they produced Elizabeth. Other than that, this is an episodic mess. And worse, what we do get are largely the preludes or postludes to events. The events themselves - e.g. the execution of Buckingham, the death of Wolsey - are merely retold.
Once again, I need to remind myself not to save a writer's worst works for last. After this, I only had Merry Wives of Windsor and Cymbeline to read (and I've since finished Windsor, which wasn't much better).
skconaghan's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Meh.
The best part of this play is the speech at the end about baby Elizabeth who later becomes Elizabeth I. It’s prophetic, in hindsight of course; a nice sentiment by the archbishop and a beautiful tribute by Shakespeare and Fletcher to their Queen. I have my doubts that Henry the Narcissistic Womaniser ever had a noble thought about the virtue and character of a woman, infant or not.
The rest of the play is rather uneventful being that it covers the shocking events of Cardinal Wolsey’s death, Henry’s defiance of The Church for the sake of his pursuit of Anne Boleyn, and the demise of Catherine of Aragon as a result. These things seem as though they should be a lot more dramatic than portrayed here. I know Oor Billy was a wee bit busy and ideas were hard to come by amid bubonic plague outbreaks and the raunchy competition, but this one falls flat. In light of the flammable fuses the multilayered real-life drama set to blaze, and the changes all these events brought to the course of history, I feel like this should have left me flabbergasted by the audacity and wreckage.
Speaking of fires, if I’d been in the theatre when they shot canon at the roof and burned The Globe down, I can’t say I’d have been disappointed to miss the second half…
The best part of this play is the speech at the end about baby Elizabeth who later becomes Elizabeth I. It’s prophetic, in hindsight of course; a nice sentiment by the archbishop and a beautiful tribute by Shakespeare and Fletcher to their Queen. I have my doubts that Henry the Narcissistic Womaniser ever had a noble thought about the virtue and character of a woman, infant or not.
The rest of the play is rather uneventful being that it covers the shocking events of Cardinal Wolsey’s death, Henry’s defiance of The Church for the sake of his pursuit of Anne Boleyn, and the demise of Catherine of Aragon as a result. These things seem as though they should be a lot more dramatic than portrayed here. I know Oor Billy was a wee bit busy and ideas were hard to come by amid bubonic plague outbreaks and the raunchy competition, but this one falls flat. In light of the flammable fuses the multilayered real-life drama set to blaze, and the changes all these events brought to the course of history, I feel like this should have left me flabbergasted by the audacity and wreckage.
Speaking of fires, if I’d been in the theatre when they shot canon at the roof and burned The Globe down, I can’t say I’d have been disappointed to miss the second half…