Original: And for me, I have no further gone in this than by A single voice;
Modern: As for me, I haven’t gone any further in this matter than with one person’s vote;

Original: and that not pass’d me but By learned approbation of the judges.
Modern: and that vote only came to me through the educated approval of the judges.

Original: If I am Traduced by ignorant tongues, which neither know My faculties nor person, yet will be The chronicles of my doing, let me say
Modern: If I am slandered by ignorant gossips who don’t know my abilities or who I am, but still want to write the story of what I do, let me say

Original: ‘Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake That virtue must go through.
Modern: It’s just the downside of being in power, and the rough thorny path that goodness must push through.

Original: We must not stint Our necessary actions, in the fear To cope malicious censurers;
Modern: We must not hold back from doing what we need to do just because we’re afraid to face spiteful critics;

Original: which ever, As ravenous fishes, do a vessel follow That is new-trimm’d, but benefit no further Than vainly longing.
Modern: who always follow a newly decorated ship like hungry fish, but gain nothing more than empty desire.

Original: What we oft do best, By sick interpreters, once weak ones, is Not ours, or not allow’d;
Modern: What we often do best is twisted by corrupt commentators, or weak ones, until it’s no longer credited to us or acknowledged;

Original: what worst, as oft, Hitting a grosser quality, is cried up For our best act.
Modern: what we do worst is just as often praised as our best work because it appeals to the lowest common taste.

Original: If we shall stand still, In fear our motion will be mock’d or carp’d at,
Modern: If we’re going to stand frozen in fear that our every move will be mocked or criticized,

Original: We should take root here where we sit, or sit State-statues only.
Modern: We might as well grow roots where we’re sitting, or just sit here like statues in the government.

In Act I, Scene ii of Henry VIII, Queen Katherine appears before King Henry VIII and the court to deliver a petition on behalf of the common people of England, who are suffering greatly under the weight of a new and oppressive tax. She explains that the people are being forced to pay one-sixth of their property and income, a burden so severe that it has caused riots and unrest throughout the kingdom. Katherine places the blame for this tax squarely on Cardinal Wolsey, accusing him of devising the levy without the King’s full knowledge or consent. Henry, appearing genuinely surprised by the extent of the grievances, orders that the tax be revoked and that all those imprisoned for resisting it be pardoned and set free. Wolsey, cornered by the Queen’s accusation, attempts to save face by quietly instructing his secretary to ensure that word of the pardon is spread in such a way that credit for the clemency falls to Wolsey himself rather than to Katherine’s petition.

Following the tax matter, the scene shifts to a second set of accusations brought before the King. The Duke of Norfolk and others present evidence against a man named Surveyor, who has been reporting treasonous words and intentions attributed to the Duke of Buckingham. The Surveyor recounts statements allegedly made by Buckingham in which he spoke of his royal lineage and his intentions regarding the succession to the throne, should Henry die without an heir. Katherine initially expresses skepticism about the Surveyor’s testimony, noting that he was recently dismissed from Buckingham’s service and may bear a grudge. However, Henry becomes increasingly alarmed and angered by the accusations as the Surveyor continues his testimony, and by the scene’s end the King is fully persuaded that Buckingham’s words constitute treason, setting the stage for the Duke’s arrest and eventual downfall.

Henry VIII: Plot Summary

The play opens in the court of King Henry VIII of England, where the powerful Cardinal Wolsey has orchestrated the downfall of the Duke of Buckingham, who is arrested for treason based on the testimony of his own surveyor. Despite pleas for mercy, Buckingham is condemned and executed. Meanwhile, King Henry meets Anne Bullen (Anne Boleyn) at a masque hosted by Cardinal Wolsey and becomes captivated by her. Henry also begins to express doubts about the validity of his marriage to Queen Katherine of Aragon, claiming his conscience troubles him over the legality of the union, as Katherine was previously married to his brother Prince Arthur.

Cardinal Wolsey works to manage the political situation, but his influence begins to unravel when Henry discovers that Wolsey has been secretly corresponding with the Pope to delay the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Katherine, and that Wolsey has been accumulating enormous personal wealth. Henry strips Wolsey of his offices and powers. Wolsey, broken by his fall from grace, dies before he can be brought to formal ruin. Queen Katherine, meanwhile, is put on trial regarding the annulment of her marriage. She passionately defends herself before the court but is ultimately cast aside. She later receives a vision of blessed spirits before dying, having been given the reduced title of Princess Dowager.

With Katherine removed, Henry marries Anne Bullen, and she is crowned Queen in a grand coronation celebrated by the common people. Archbishop Cranmer, a Protestant reformer and ally of the King, comes under threat from a council of nobles who attempt to bring charges against him. Henry, however, intervenes to protect Cranmer. The play concludes with the christening of Henry and Anne’s newborn daughter, the future Queen Elizabeth I, where Cranmer delivers a joyful prophecy foretelling the greatness of Elizabeth’s reign and the prosperity that will follow under her successor, King James I.