King Henry VIII   By: William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

by William Shakespeare

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

KING HENRY THE EIGHTH CARDINAL WOLSEY CARDINAL CAMPEIUS CAPUCIUS, Ambassador from the Emperor Charles V CRANMER, archbishop of Canterbury DUKE OF NORFOLK DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM DUKE OF SUFFOLK EARL OF SURREY LORD CHAMBERLAIN LORD CHANCELLOR GARDINER, bishop of Winchester BISHOP OF LINCOLN LORD ABERGAVENNY LORD SANDYS (called also SIR WILLIAM SANDYS) SIR HENRY GUILDFORD SIR THOMAS LOVELL SIR ANTHONY DENNY SIR NICHOLAS VAUX Secretaries to Wolsey CROMWELL, servant to Wolsey GRIFFITH, gentleman usher to Queen Katherine

Three Gentlemen DOCTOR BUTTS, physician to the King Garter King at Arms Surveyor to the Duke of Buckingham BRANDON, and a Sergeant at Arms Door keeper of the Council chamber Porter, and his Man Page to Gardiner A Crier

QUEEN KATHERINE, wife to King Henry, afterwards divorced ANNE BULLEN, her Maid of Honour, afterwards Queen An old Lady, friend to Anne Bullen PATIENCE, woman to Queen Katherine

Spirits

Several Lords and Ladies in the Dumb Shows; Women attending upon the Queen; Scribes, Officers, Guards, and other Attendants

SCENE: London; Westminster; Kimbolton

THE PROLOGUE.

I COME no more to make you laugh: things now That bear a weighty and a serious brow, Sad, high, and working, full of state and woe, Such noble scenes as draw the eye to flow, We now present. Those that can pity, here May, if they think it well, let fall a tear; The subject will deserve it. Such as give Their money out of hope they may believe, May here find truth too. Those that come to see Only a show or two, and so agree The play may pass, if they be still and willing, I'll undertake may see away their shilling Richly in two short hours. Only they That come to hear a merry bawdy play, A noise of targets, or to see a fellow In a long motley coat guarded with yellow, Will be deceiv'd; for, gentle hearers, know, To rank our chosen truth with such a show As fool and fight is, beside forfeiting Our own brains, and the opinion that we bring To make that only true we now intend, Will leave us never an understanding friend. Therefore, for goodness' sake, and as you are known The first and happiest hearers of the town, Be sad, as we would make ye; think ye see The very persons of our noble story As they were living; think you see them great, And follow'd with the general throng and sweat Of thousand friends; then, in a moment, see How soon this mightiness meets misery; And if you can be merry then, I'll say A man may weep upon his wedding day.

ACT I.

SCENE 1. London. An ante chamber in the palace.

[Enter the Duke of Norfolk at one door; at the other, the Duke of Buckingham and the Lord Abergavenny.]

BUCKINGHAM. Good morrow, and well met. How have ye done Since last we saw in France? NORFOLK. I thank your Grace, Healthful; and ever since a fresh admirer Of 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.

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 thron'd ones could have weigh'd Such a compounded one?

BUCKINGHAM All the whole time I was my chamber's prisoner.