Henry VIII
Shakespeare knew like few others how to dramatize the gossipy lives of kings. More importantly, he knew that just because it was history, that didn't mean it was boring. Today, however, Shakespeare's histories can be a bit of a drudge to plow through. Let BookCaps help with this modern translation of the classic history play.
If you have struggled in the past reading Shakespeare, then BookCaps can help you out. This book is a modern translation of Henry VIII.
The original text is also presented in the book, along with a comparable version of both text.
If you have struggled in the past reading Shakespeare, then BookCaps can help you out. This book is a modern translation of Henry VIII.
The original text is also presented in the book, along with a comparable version of both text.
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Excerpt
SCENE I. London. An ante-chamber in the palace.
Enter NORFOLK at one door; at the other, BUCKINGHAM and ABERGAVENNY
BUCKINGHAM
Good morrow, and well met. How have ye done
Since last we saw in France?
Good day, and welcome. How have you been
since we last met in France?
NORFOLK
I thank your grace,
Healthful; and ever since a fresh admirer
Of what I saw there.
Very well, thank you
your Grace; and I have not lost my admiration
for what I saw there.
BUCKINGHAM
An untimely ague
Stay'd me a prisoner in my chamber when
Those suns of glory, those two lights of men,
Met in the vale of Andren.
An inconvenient fever
kept me a prisoner in my room when
those two glorious suns, those examples to mankind,
met in the Vale of Andren.
NORFOLK
'Twixt Guynes and Arde:
I was then present, saw them salute on horseback;
Beheld them, when they lighted, how they clung
In their embracement, as they grew together;
Which had they, what four throned ones could have weigh'd
Such a compounded one?
Between Guynes and Arde:
I was there at the time, and saw them greet each other on horseback;
I saw how when they dismounted they hugged
each other, as if they were a single being;
if they were, what four Kings could have matched
one such combination?
BUCKINGHAM
All the whole time
I was my chamber's prisoner.
I was confined to my room
the whole time.
NORFOLK
Then you lost
The view of earthly glory: men might say,
Till this time pomp was single, but now married
To one above itself. Each following day
Became the next day's master, till the last
Made former wonders its. To-day the French,
All clinquant, all in gold, like heathen gods,
Shone down the English; and, to-morrow, they
Made Britain India: every man that stood
Show'd like a mine. Their dwarfish pages were
As cherubins, all guilt: the madams too,
Not used to toil, did almost sweat to bear
The pride upon them, that their very labour
Was to them as a painting: now this masque
Was cried incomparable; and the ensuing night
Made it a fool and beggar. The two kings,
Equal in lustre, were now best, now worst,
As presence did present them; him in eye,
Still him in praise: and, being present both
'Twas said they saw but one; and no discerner
Durst wag his tongue in censure. When these suns--
For so they phrase 'em--by their heralds challenged
The noble spirits to arms, they did perform
Beyond thought's compass; that former fabulous story,
Being now seen possible enough, got credit,
That Bevis was believed.
Then you missed
a sight of glory on earth: men might say
that grandeur was single up to now, before it married
one even greater. Every successive day
showed greater pageantry than the rest, until the last one
combined everything that had gone before. One day the French,
all glittering with gold, outshone the English
like heathen gods; and the next day
the English would display the riches of India; every man
look like a goldmine. Their little pages looked
like cherubim, all gilded: the ladies too,
unused to labour, were almost sweating to carry
the riches upon them, so that their work
brought colour to their cheeks. So this show
would be called unbeatable; and the next night
it looks like the work of a foolish beggar. The two kings,
equal in glory, were now the best, then the worst,
depending whose turn it was: with them
both there to be seen they were praised equally,
men said they could only see one king, and no
observer dared to voice any criticism. When these suns
(for that's what they call them) were challenged by their heralds
to joust with each other, they did it
better than one could imagine, they were so good
that it was now seen how former feats of arms,
previously thought legendary, could have been true.
BUCKINGHAM
O, you go far.
Oh, you're being very effusive.
NORFOLK
As I belong to worship and affect
In honour honesty, the tract of every thing
Would by a good discourser lose some life,
Which action's self was tongue to. All was royal;
To the disposing of it nought rebell'd.
Order gave each thing view; the office did
Distinctly his full function.
As God is my witness and as I
worship honesty, I tell you that
there are not words good enough to describe
the things that went on. Everything was royal;
nothing was spared in showing it,
everything was in its place: the officials did
their tasks perfectly.
BUCKINGHAM
Who did guide,
I mean, who set the body and the limbs
Of this great sport together, as you guess?
Who ran the show,
I mean, who ordered all the elements
of this great business, do you think?
NORFOLK
One, certes, that promises no element
In such a business.
One who you most certainly wouldn't imagine
would have the skills for such a business.
BUCKINGHAM
I pray you, who, my lord?
Tell me, who, my lord?
NORFOLK
All this was order'd by the good discretion
Of the right reverend Cardinal of York.
Everything was done under the orders
of the right reverend Cardinal of York.
BUCKINGHAM
The devil speed him! no man's pie is freed
From his ambitious finger. What had he
To do in these fierce vanities? I wonder
That such a keech can with his very bulk
Take up the rays o' the beneficial sun
And keep it from the earth.
A curse on him! There is no pie in which
he doesn't have his ambitious fingers. What was his
business with these extravagances? I'm amazed
that such a lump is able to occupy
the King so much and keep him from
the general public.
NORFOLK
Surely, sir,
There's in him stuff that puts him to these ends;
For, being not propp'd by ancestry, whose grace
Chalks successors their way, nor call'd upon
For high feats done to the crown; neither allied
For eminent assistants; but, spider-like,
Out of his self-drawing web, he gives us note,
The force of his own merit makes his way
A gift that heaven gives for him, which buys
A place next to the king.
Surely, Sir,
there's a reason that he's like this;
he is not supported by great ancestry,
which gives descendants examples to follow, nor is he
valued for great acts done on behalf of the Crown;
nor is he related to great ministers; but, like a spider,
he gets his position from his own self-made web,
he makes his way by his own merits,
the gift that heaven has given him, which buys him
a place next to the King.
ABERGAVENNY
I cannot tell
What heaven hath given him,--let some graver eye
Pierce into that; but I can see his pride
Peep through each part of him: whence has he that?
If not from hell the devil is a niggard,
Or has given all before, and he begins
A new hell in himself.
I don't know
what heaven has given him–let someone more
experienced look into that; but I can see his pride
shining out of every part of him: where has he got that from?
If not from hell then the devil is miserly,
or has given away all his pride, and Wolsey begins
a new hell himself.
BUCKINGHAM
Why the devil,
Upon this French going out, took he upon him,
Without the privity o' the king, to appoint
Who should attend on him? He makes up the file
Of all the gentry; for the most part such
To whom as great a charge as little honour
He meant to lay upon: and his own letter,
The honourable board of council out,
Must fetch him in the papers.
Why the devil did he,
at the start of this French expedition, assume,
without the King's knowledge, the responsibility of choosing
who should go with him? He chose which
gentlemen should go; mostly those on whom
he intended to impose a great tax without
giving them any honour: they were ordered to come
by his own letter, he didn't bother consulting with
the honourable board of Council.
ABERGAVENNY
I do know
Kinsmen of mine, three at the least, that have
By this so sickened their estates, that never
They shall abound as formerly.
I know
at least three relatives of mine who have
had to spend so much on this business that
their estates will never recover.
BUCKINGHAM
O, many
Have broke their backs with laying manors on 'em
For this great journey. What did this vanity
But minister communication of
A most poor issue?
O, many
have acquired a great deal of property
through this expedition. What use was this extravagance
apart from stealing away the
inheritance of children?
NORFOLK
Grievingly I think,
The peace between the French and us not values
The cost that did conclude it.
I'm sorry to say,
the peace concluded between the French and us is not worth
the price we paid for it.
BUCKINGHAM
Every man,
After the hideous storm that follow'd, was
A thing inspired; and, not consulting, broke
Into a general prophecy; That this tempest,
Dashing the garment of this peace, aboded
The sudden breach on't.
After the hideous storm that followed the
signing of the peace every man became inspired,
and spontaneously everyone began to prophesy
that the storm, raging against the peace, showed
that it would be broken.
NORFOLK
Which is budded out;
For France hath flaw'd the league, and hath attach'd
Our merchants' goods at Bourdeaux.
And this has come to fruition;
for France has broken the deal, and has seized
our merchants' goods at Bordeaux.
ABERGAVENNY
Is it therefore
The ambassador is silenced?
Does that mean
the ambassador has been prevented from speaking?
NORFOLK
Marry, is't.
It certainly does.
ABERGAVENNY
A proper title of a peace; and purchased
At a superfluous rate!
A fine thing to call peace; and bought
at such a high price!
BUCKINGHAM
Why, all this business
Our reverend cardinal carried.
Why, all this business
was down to our reverend cardinal.
NORFOLK
Like it your grace,
The state takes notice of the private difference
Betwixt you and the cardinal. I advise you--
And take it from a heart that wishes towards you
Honour and plenteous safety--that you read
The cardinal's malice and his potency
Together; to consider further that
What his high hatred would effect wants not
A minister in his power. You know his nature,
That he's revengeful, and I know his sword
Hath a sharp edge: it's long and, 't may be said,
It reaches far, and where 'twill not extend,
Thither he darts it. Bosom up my counsel,
You'll find it wholesome. Lo, where comes that rock
That I advise your shunning.
If I may say so your Grace,
everyone has noticed the private disagreement
between you and the Cardinal. I advise you–
and accept it from a heart who wishes you
honour and all safety–that you consider
the cardinal's malice and his power
together; and think further that
he's not lacking ministers to carry out
his hatred. You know what he's like,
that he holds a grudge,
and I know his sword
is sharp: it's long, and one may say
it can reach far places, and where it won't reach,
he throws it. Remember my advice,
you will find it beneficial. Look, here comes the rock
that I advise you to steer clear of.
Enter NORFOLK at one door; at the other, BUCKINGHAM and ABERGAVENNY
BUCKINGHAM
Good morrow, and well met. How have ye done
Since last we saw in France?
Good day, and welcome. How have you been
since we last met in France?
NORFOLK
I thank your grace,
Healthful; and ever since a fresh admirer
Of what I saw there.
Very well, thank you
your Grace; and I have not lost my admiration
for what I saw there.
BUCKINGHAM
An untimely ague
Stay'd me a prisoner in my chamber when
Those suns of glory, those two lights of men,
Met in the vale of Andren.
An inconvenient fever
kept me a prisoner in my room when
those two glorious suns, those examples to mankind,
met in the Vale of Andren.
NORFOLK
'Twixt Guynes and Arde:
I was then present, saw them salute on horseback;
Beheld them, when they lighted, how they clung
In their embracement, as they grew together;
Which had they, what four throned ones could have weigh'd
Such a compounded one?
Between Guynes and Arde:
I was there at the time, and saw them greet each other on horseback;
I saw how when they dismounted they hugged
each other, as if they were a single being;
if they were, what four Kings could have matched
one such combination?
BUCKINGHAM
All the whole time
I was my chamber's prisoner.
I was confined to my room
the whole time.
NORFOLK
Then you lost
The view of earthly glory: men might say,
Till this time pomp was single, but now married
To one above itself. Each following day
Became the next day's master, till the last
Made former wonders its. To-day the French,
All clinquant, all in gold, like heathen gods,
Shone down the English; and, to-morrow, they
Made Britain India: every man that stood
Show'd like a mine. Their dwarfish pages were
As cherubins, all guilt: the madams too,
Not used to toil, did almost sweat to bear
The pride upon them, that their very labour
Was to them as a painting: now this masque
Was cried incomparable; and the ensuing night
Made it a fool and beggar. The two kings,
Equal in lustre, were now best, now worst,
As presence did present them; him in eye,
Still him in praise: and, being present both
'Twas said they saw but one; and no discerner
Durst wag his tongue in censure. When these suns--
For so they phrase 'em--by their heralds challenged
The noble spirits to arms, they did perform
Beyond thought's compass; that former fabulous story,
Being now seen possible enough, got credit,
That Bevis was believed.
Then you missed
a sight of glory on earth: men might say
that grandeur was single up to now, before it married
one even greater. Every successive day
showed greater pageantry than the rest, until the last one
combined everything that had gone before. One day the French,
all glittering with gold, outshone the English
like heathen gods; and the next day
the English would display the riches of India; every man
look like a goldmine. Their little pages looked
like cherubim, all gilded: the ladies too,
unused to labour, were almost sweating to carry
the riches upon them, so that their work
brought colour to their cheeks. So this show
would be called unbeatable; and the next night
it looks like the work of a foolish beggar. The two kings,
equal in glory, were now the best, then the worst,
depending whose turn it was: with them
both there to be seen they were praised equally,
men said they could only see one king, and no
observer dared to voice any criticism. When these suns
(for that's what they call them) were challenged by their heralds
to joust with each other, they did it
better than one could imagine, they were so good
that it was now seen how former feats of arms,
previously thought legendary, could have been true.
BUCKINGHAM
O, you go far.
Oh, you're being very effusive.
NORFOLK
As I belong to worship and affect
In honour honesty, the tract of every thing
Would by a good discourser lose some life,
Which action's self was tongue to. All was royal;
To the disposing of it nought rebell'd.
Order gave each thing view; the office did
Distinctly his full function.
As God is my witness and as I
worship honesty, I tell you that
there are not words good enough to describe
the things that went on. Everything was royal;
nothing was spared in showing it,
everything was in its place: the officials did
their tasks perfectly.
BUCKINGHAM
Who did guide,
I mean, who set the body and the limbs
Of this great sport together, as you guess?
Who ran the show,
I mean, who ordered all the elements
of this great business, do you think?
NORFOLK
One, certes, that promises no element
In such a business.
One who you most certainly wouldn't imagine
would have the skills for such a business.
BUCKINGHAM
I pray you, who, my lord?
Tell me, who, my lord?
NORFOLK
All this was order'd by the good discretion
Of the right reverend Cardinal of York.
Everything was done under the orders
of the right reverend Cardinal of York.
BUCKINGHAM
The devil speed him! no man's pie is freed
From his ambitious finger. What had he
To do in these fierce vanities? I wonder
That such a keech can with his very bulk
Take up the rays o' the beneficial sun
And keep it from the earth.
A curse on him! There is no pie in which
he doesn't have his ambitious fingers. What was his
business with these extravagances? I'm amazed
that such a lump is able to occupy
the King so much and keep him from
the general public.
NORFOLK
Surely, sir,
There's in him stuff that puts him to these ends;
For, being not propp'd by ancestry, whose grace
Chalks successors their way, nor call'd upon
For high feats done to the crown; neither allied
For eminent assistants; but, spider-like,
Out of his self-drawing web, he gives us note,
The force of his own merit makes his way
A gift that heaven gives for him, which buys
A place next to the king.
Surely, Sir,
there's a reason that he's like this;
he is not supported by great ancestry,
which gives descendants examples to follow, nor is he
valued for great acts done on behalf of the Crown;
nor is he related to great ministers; but, like a spider,
he gets his position from his own self-made web,
he makes his way by his own merits,
the gift that heaven has given him, which buys him
a place next to the King.
ABERGAVENNY
I cannot tell
What heaven hath given him,--let some graver eye
Pierce into that; but I can see his pride
Peep through each part of him: whence has he that?
If not from hell the devil is a niggard,
Or has given all before, and he begins
A new hell in himself.
I don't know
what heaven has given him–let someone more
experienced look into that; but I can see his pride
shining out of every part of him: where has he got that from?
If not from hell then the devil is miserly,
or has given away all his pride, and Wolsey begins
a new hell himself.
BUCKINGHAM
Why the devil,
Upon this French going out, took he upon him,
Without the privity o' the king, to appoint
Who should attend on him? He makes up the file
Of all the gentry; for the most part such
To whom as great a charge as little honour
He meant to lay upon: and his own letter,
The honourable board of council out,
Must fetch him in the papers.
Why the devil did he,
at the start of this French expedition, assume,
without the King's knowledge, the responsibility of choosing
who should go with him? He chose which
gentlemen should go; mostly those on whom
he intended to impose a great tax without
giving them any honour: they were ordered to come
by his own letter, he didn't bother consulting with
the honourable board of Council.
ABERGAVENNY
I do know
Kinsmen of mine, three at the least, that have
By this so sickened their estates, that never
They shall abound as formerly.
I know
at least three relatives of mine who have
had to spend so much on this business that
their estates will never recover.
BUCKINGHAM
O, many
Have broke their backs with laying manors on 'em
For this great journey. What did this vanity
But minister communication of
A most poor issue?
O, many
have acquired a great deal of property
through this expedition. What use was this extravagance
apart from stealing away the
inheritance of children?
NORFOLK
Grievingly I think,
The peace between the French and us not values
The cost that did conclude it.
I'm sorry to say,
the peace concluded between the French and us is not worth
the price we paid for it.
BUCKINGHAM
Every man,
After the hideous storm that follow'd, was
A thing inspired; and, not consulting, broke
Into a general prophecy; That this tempest,
Dashing the garment of this peace, aboded
The sudden breach on't.
After the hideous storm that followed the
signing of the peace every man became inspired,
and spontaneously everyone began to prophesy
that the storm, raging against the peace, showed
that it would be broken.
NORFOLK
Which is budded out;
For France hath flaw'd the league, and hath attach'd
Our merchants' goods at Bourdeaux.
And this has come to fruition;
for France has broken the deal, and has seized
our merchants' goods at Bordeaux.
ABERGAVENNY
Is it therefore
The ambassador is silenced?
Does that mean
the ambassador has been prevented from speaking?
NORFOLK
Marry, is't.
It certainly does.
ABERGAVENNY
A proper title of a peace; and purchased
At a superfluous rate!
A fine thing to call peace; and bought
at such a high price!
BUCKINGHAM
Why, all this business
Our reverend cardinal carried.
Why, all this business
was down to our reverend cardinal.
NORFOLK
Like it your grace,
The state takes notice of the private difference
Betwixt you and the cardinal. I advise you--
And take it from a heart that wishes towards you
Honour and plenteous safety--that you read
The cardinal's malice and his potency
Together; to consider further that
What his high hatred would effect wants not
A minister in his power. You know his nature,
That he's revengeful, and I know his sword
Hath a sharp edge: it's long and, 't may be said,
It reaches far, and where 'twill not extend,
Thither he darts it. Bosom up my counsel,
You'll find it wholesome. Lo, where comes that rock
That I advise your shunning.
If I may say so your Grace,
everyone has noticed the private disagreement
between you and the Cardinal. I advise you–
and accept it from a heart who wishes you
honour and all safety–that you consider
the cardinal's malice and his power
together; and think further that
he's not lacking ministers to carry out
his hatred. You know what he's like,
that he holds a grudge,
and I know his sword
is sharp: it's long, and one may say
it can reach far places, and where it won't reach,
he throws it. Remember my advice,
you will find it beneficial. Look, here comes the rock
that I advise you to steer clear of.