Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

Cardinal Wolsey

Let's be real: Cardinal Wolsey is behind most of the bad stuff that goes down in the play.

First, he has a hand in taking down Buckingham; then he comes up with a way for Henry to get rid of Katherine. Married? No problem: Wolsey carefully creates a loophole for the H-man to get out of it. Finally, Wolsey begins plotting against Anne with the help of his little friend, the Pope.

But that's not the only thing that makes Wolsey our antagonist. He does some pretty despicable things, certainly, but he's also got more cunning and more manipulative skills up his sleeve than even Richard III… and he does it all while wearing a clean cardinal's robe. Shakespeare is careful, however, not to make Wolsey a villain. In the end, Wolsey comes to his senses and feels bad about what he's done. We're even told he died fearing God.