SHAKESPEARE ON DISK.

     KING HENRY THE EIGHTH.

Copyright (c) 1990 Interconnection Publications Inc.


     DRAMATIS PERSONAE.

KING HENRY THE EIGHTH.

CARDINAL WOLSEY.

CRANMER.
          Archbishop of Canterbury.

QUEEN KATHARINE.
          Wife of King Henry, later divorced.

DUKE OF NORFOLK.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.

DUKE OF SUFFOLK.

EARL OF SURREY.

LORD CHAMBERLAIN.

LORD CHANCELLOR.

CARDINAL CAMPEIUS.

ANNE BULLEN.
          Katharine's maid of honor, later Queen.

GARDINER.
          Bishop of Winchester.

CROMWELL.
          Servant to Wolsey.

BISHOP OF LINCOLN.

LORD ABERGAVENNY.

LORD SANDS, SIR WILLIAM SANDS.

SIR HENRY GUILDFORD.

SIR THOMAS LOVELL.

SIR ANTHONY DENNY.

SIR NICHOLAS VAUX.
SECRETARIES TO WOLSEY.

GRIFFITH.
          Gentleman-usher to Queen Katharine.

THREE GENTLEMEN.

DOCTOR BUTTS.
          Physician to the King.

GARTER KING-AT-ARMS.

SURVEYOR.
          To the Duke of Buckingham.

AN OLD LADY.
          Friend of Anne Bullen.

BRANDON.

A SERGEANT-AT-ARMS.

DOORKEEPER OF THE COUNCIL CHAMBER.

PORTER, and his MAN.

CAPUCIUS.
          Ambassador from the Emperor Charles V.

PAGE.
          To Gardiner.

PATIENCE.
          Woman to Queen Katharine.

A CRIER.

SEVERAL BISHOPS, WOMEN ATTENDING THE QUEEN, SCRIBES, 
OFFICERS, GUARDS, PURSUIVANTS and other ATTENDANTS; LORDS 
AND LADIES in the dumb-shows.

SPIRITS.


     SYNOPSIS          

Prologue.
     The audience is informed that the play is not a comedy 
but a noble tale.

1/1  London. An ante-chamber in the palace.
     The DUKE OF NORFOLK, the DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM, and LORD 
ABERGAVENNY enter; the DUKE OF NORFOLK describes the meeting 
between the English and French kings, which leads to a 
discussion of Wolsey, against whom NORFOLK warns BUCKINGHAM.
     CARDINAL WOLSEY enters, with GUARDS and two 
SECRETARIES, to whom he talks about BUCKINGHAM, and then 
exits with his party.
     NORFOLK calms the angry BUCKINGHAM; BRANDON, a 
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS, and some GUARDS enter, and arrest 
BUCKINGHAM for high treason; BUCKINGHAM realizes that his 
situation is hopeless and takes leave of his friends.

1/2  London. The council-chamber.
     KING HENRY, CARDINAL WOLSEY, SIR THOMAS LOVELL, NOBLES 
and a SECRETARY enter; HENRY sends for Buckingham; QUEEN 
KATHARINE enters with the DUKES OF NORFOLK and SUFFOLK, and 
informs HENRY that the people are rebelling against CARDINAL 
WOLSEY's taxes; HENRY pardons the insurgents and the 
SECRETARY exits.
     The SURVEYOR enters and accuses Buckingham of treason; 
KATHARINE questions the SURVEYOR's honesty but HENRY commits 
Buckingham to trial.

1/3  An ante-chamber in the palace.
     The LORD CHAMBERLAIN and LORD SANDS censure the 
foppishness of courtiers; SIR THOMAS LOVELL enters and 
agrees with them, and they all exit for Wolsey's banquet.

1/4  The presence-chamber in York-Place.
     SIR HENRY GUILDFORD welcomes ANNE BULLEN and other 
LADIES and GENTLEWOMEN; the LORD CHAMBERLAIN, LORD SANDS and 
SIR THOMAS LOVELL enter, and the guests exchange 
pleasantries; CARDINAL WOLSEY enters attended, and greets 
the throng.
     A SERVANT identifies a noise as the arrival of foreign 
ambassadors; the LORD CHAMBERLAIN exits to receive them and 
re-enters with KING HENRY and others in disguise; they are 
invited to dance; CARDINAL WOLSEY suspects that the king is 
present, so HENRY unmasks; HENRY praises ANNE BULLEN and the 
company go in to dinner.

2/1  London. A street.
     The FIRST GENTLEMAN tells the SECOND GENTLEMAN about 
Buckingham's trial, and they agree that Wolsey is 
responsible for many evils.
     The DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM, SIR THOMAS LOVELL, SIR NICHOLAS 
VAUX, LORD SANDS and commoners enter; BUCKINGHAM maintains 
his innocence, and exits with his TRAIN.
     The TWO GENTLEMEN consider the rumored separation 
between Henry and Katharine.

2/2  An ante-chamber in the palace.
     The LORD CHAMBERLAIN enters reading a letter; the DUKES 
OF NORFOLK and SUFFOLK enter and deplore Wolsey's influence 
on the king; the LORD CHAMBERLAIN exits.
     The DUKES enter KING HENRY's room and disturb him; 
CARDINALS WOLSEY and CAMPEIUS enter; HENRY dismisses the two 
DUKES, who exit; HENRY and the priests discuss the divorce 
proceedings.
     GARDINER enters and speaks to HENRY privately, while 
CARDINAL CAMPEIUS ascribes GARDINER's ascent to CARDINAL 
WOLSEY.

2/3  An ante-chamber in the Queen's apartments.
     ANNE BULLEN and an OLD LADY pity Katharine; ANNE BULLEN 
claims she would dislike being queen, but the OLD LADY 
disbelieves her.
     The LORD CHAMBERLAIN enters, tells ANNE BULLEN that 
Henry has elevated her to the peerage, and exits; the OLD 
LADY teases ANNE BULLEN.

2/4  A hall in Black-Friars.
     VERGERS, SCRIBES, the ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, the 
BISHOPS OF LINCOLN, ELY, ROCHESTER and SAINT ASAPH, 
GENTLEMEN, PRIESTS, NOBLES, SERGEANT-AT-ARMS, CARDINALS 
WOLSEY and CAMPEIUS, KING HENRY, and QUEEN KATHARINE enter 
in procession for the divorce proceedings; KATHARINE asks 
HENRY how she has offended him, and begs to be defended by 
her own friends; she also blames CARDINAL WOLSEY for her 
fall, which he denies; she exits with her ATTENDANTS.
     HENRY praises his queen but exculpates CARDINAL WOLSEY, 
and lists the causes of the divorce; the court adjourns. 

3/1  London. The Queen's apartments.
     One of QUEEN KATHARINE's LADIES sings to her; a 
GENTLEMAN enters, announces the cardinals and exits.
     CARDINALS WOLSEY and CAMPEIUS enter; they persuade 
KATHARINE, despite her mistrust of them, to accede to 
Henry's wishes.

3/2  Ante-chamber to the king's apartment.
     The DUKES OF NORFOLK and SUFFOLK, the EARL OF SURREY 
and the LORD CHAMBERLAIN complain about Wolsey; NORFOLK 
tells them that the cardinal has fallen out of favor and 
that Henry has married Anne.
     CARDINAL WOLSEY enters with CROMWELL and asks him 
whether Henry received certain papers; CROMWELL exits; 
CARDINAL WOLSEY plans an advantageous marriage for the king.      
KING HENRY and SIR THOMAS LOVELL enter; HENRY tells the 
nobles that he is angered by CARDINAL WOLSEY's wealth; he 
questions CARDINAL WOLSEY's loyalty, presents him with the 
incriminating letters, and exits followed by all but the 
CARDINAL.
     CARDINAL WOLSEY realizes that he is undone; the DUKES 
OF NORFOLK and SUFFOLK, the EARL OF SURREY and the LORD 
CHAMBERLAIN enter and demand the great seal from CARDINAL 
WOLSEY; SURREY and CARDINAL WOLSEY wrangle; and the nobles 
exit.
     CARDINAL WOLSEY soliloquizes on the vagaries of fate; 
CROMWELL enters, sympathizes with the cardinal and tells him 
of More's and Cranmer's appointments; CARDINAL WOLSEY 
advises CROMWELL to eschew ambition.

4/1  A street in Westminster.
     Two GENTLEMEN discuss Anne's imminent coronation and 
Katharine's retirement to Kimbolton.
     JUDGES, the LORD CHANCELLOR, CHORISTERS, the MAYOR OF 
LONDON, GARTER, MARQUESS DORSET, the EARL OF SURREY, the 
DUKES OF SUFFOLK and NORFOLK, representatives of the CINQUE-
PORTS, ANNE BULLEN, the BISHOP OF LONDON, GARDINER, the 
DUCHESS OF NORFOLK and LADIES cross the stage in procession 
and exit; the GENTLEMEN admire the queen.
     A THIRD GENTLEMAN enters and describes the ceremony; 
they then comment upon the enmity between Cranmer and 
Gardiner. 

4/2  Kimbolton.
     QUEEN KATHARINE, ill, GRIFFITH and PATIENCE enter; 
KATHARINE and GRIFFITH discuss Wolsey.
     KATHARINE sleeps, sees a vision, and calls for it when 
she wakes.
     A MESSENGER enters, announces CAPUCIUS and exits; 
KATHARINE gives CAPUCIUS a letter for Henry in which she 
asks the king to look after her daughter and followers; she 
grows weak and is led out.

5/1  London. A gallery in the palace.
     GARDINER and a PAGE meet SIR THOMAS LOVELL who tells 
them that Anne is in labor; GARDINER denounces Cranmer and 
says that he has summoned him to trial; GARDINER and PAGE 
exit.
     KING HENRY and the DUKE OF SUFFOLK enter and the men 
discuss the queen's confinement; SUFFOLK exits; SIR ANTHONY 
DENNY enters and announces CRANMER; LOVELL and DENNY exit.
     HENRY warns CRANMER against the council and gives him a 
ring; CRANMER exits.
     The OLD LADY enters and says that Anne has had a girl; 
LOVELL enters to reward the woman; HENRY exits.

5/2  Before the council-chamber.
     CRANMER, PURSUIVANTS, PAGES and FOOTBOYS enter; the 
KEEPER enters and tells CRANMER to wait.
     DOCTOR BUTTS enters, notes CRANMER's treatment, exits 
and reappears with KING HENRY at an upstairs window; HENRY 
is incensed by CRANMER's reception; they retire.

5/3  The council-chamber.
     The LORD CHANCELLOR, the DUKES OF SUFFOLK and NORFOLK, 
the EARL OF SURREY, the LORD CHAMBERLAIN, GARDINER, and 
CROMWELL enter; CRANMER is called to the council and accused 
of heresy; he defends himself, with CROMWELL's help, but is 
ordered to the Tower; a GUARD enters to arrest him, so 
CRANMER produces Henry's ring which dismays the councilors.
     KING HENRY enters, frees CRANMER and rebukes the 
others.

5/4  The palace-yard.
     The PORTER and a MAN try to control the crowds who have 
gathered for the christening; the LORD CHAMBERLAIN enters 
and tells the PORTER to keep order.

5/5  The palace.
     ALDERMEN, the LORD MAYOR, GARTER, CRANMER, the DUKES OF 
NORFOLK and SUFFOLK, NOBLES, the DUCHESS OF NORFOLK, the 
CHILD, the MARCHIONESS OF DORSET and LADIES enter; KING 
HENRY and his GUARD enter; CRANMER names the CHILD and 
predicts a glorious future for her; HENRY is comforted by 
his prophecy.

Epilogue.
     If the play manages to please the women, they will 
persuade the men to like it.