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Henry VIII presents the traditionalist with a challenge. Although the play is subtitled, “All is True,” the Bard seems to create a melodrama that simplifies the momentous conflicts of Henry VIII’s reign and appears to be Tudor propaganda. Dr. Patrick notes both the complexity found in Shakespeare’s layered introduction to the play and the danger of any treatment of the Tudors in Shakespeare’s day. Every character in the play praises the character of the king, but the drama lies not in the character of the passive king but in the corrupt ambition of his associates. Dr. Patrick suggests that the ultimate meaning of the work lies in the healing of forgiveness and reconciliation, for it cannot be taken seriously as history.
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