Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- How is Henry VIII characterized? Has he just fallen under the influence of Wolsey, or does he himself make bad decisions?
- Why are there so many trials (Buckingham's, Katherine's, Wolsey's, Cranmer's) in the play? What is different about each trial? What do each of the trials have in common?
- What is the significance of baby Elizabeth in the play? Why might it have been important for Shakespeare to cast her in a certain light?
- Are any of the characters accused of wrongdoing (Buckingham, Katherine, Wolsey, Cranmer) truly guilty? Why does Henry VIII spare Cranmer and not the others? What's so special about him?
- How does Fortune or Fate control the actions of the characters? In what ways are the characters just pawns in a larger game of history?
- What does the alternative title All is True tell us about Shakespeare's intention for the play? Is this play "true" in every scene? Why or why not? Why draw attention to truth in the first place?
- What is the purpose of the Prologue and Epilogue? In what ways do they help us understand the larger purpose of the play? Is this helpful when we're watching or reading it?