autrenecherche:

“One suspects, after reviewing the literature, that Henry is too large and complex a figure to fit any single canvas, to be grasped as a whole at once. This, perhaps, is why Henry continues to fascinate. Whether the classical king of beasts worthy of respect and praise, or the predator, a Machiavellian creature of self will and unseemly appetie, More’s ‘lion’ may have known and used his strength much more effectively and completely than More suspected. Yet the image of a prince hard to rule, by any man or even by himself, a bit erratic and more than a bit dangerous, may be another source of the historical fascination with this man. 

Not even the modern psychologist can pin down Henry. He remains a bit of an enigma, and no matter how well we understand his age, how closely we study his actions, perhaps he will always remain so. Each generation writes its own history, for its own purposes, and so each must find its own understanding of Henry VIII. Part lion, part fox, Henry the man and the king remains a key piece in the unfinished puzzle of the sixteenth century. Whether one admires or abhors, still Henry must be taken account of. That there has been so little agreement on his character is perhaps history’s highest accolade. 

As Oscar Wilde once quipped, the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about. Wherever his shade now rests, Henry should have no complaints.” [ x ]