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Cardinal Wolsey is a powerful figure in Henry’s court. Not only is he the king’s right-hand man, but he is also a gifted schemer who meddles freely in affairs of state while simultaneously lining his own pockets and nurturing his political ambitions. His wrongdoings are many. Before the play has even begun, we learn that he engineered a recent treaty between England and France, making a side deal that was personally advantageous to him. He also levies a hefty new tax in the king’s name that nearly sparks a rebellion. Additionally, he has a reputation in court for reassigning noblemen who show any ambition or friendliness toward the king to far-off places. We see a version of this behavior when he accuses Buckingham of treason and appears to fix his trial by furnishing a begrudging witness whose testimony is likely falsified. But Wolsey’s most significant meddling comes through his interference in the king’s marriage. It is Wolsey who plants the idea in Henry’s mind that his marriage to Katherine is illegitimate. He does so because he wants Henry to marry the French king’s sister, thereby solidifying the treaty he brokered with France and getting him one step closer to his final goal: the papacy.
Yet Wolsey’s soaring ambition ultimately brings about his own downfall. The king intercepts a letter the cardinal has addressed to the pope, asking him not to authorize Henry’s divorce until the king gets over his infatuation with Anne Bullen. This letter, along with an account of the cardinal’s suspiciously immense wealth, causes the king to strip Wolsey of his title and seize his holdings. But unlike a typical Shakespearean villain, who would persist in his villainy even after getting caught, Wolsey makes an immediate about-face and admits his wrongdoing. He acknowledges the error of his arrogance and recognizes that he was out of his depth meddling in affairs of state. To some audience members, his penitent attitude may seem to come suspiciously fast. However, his contrition ultimately seems genuine, as suggested when he counsels his close friend Cromwell to “fling away ambition” (3.2.520) and be an honest man. Wolsey is soon removed from court and brought to a monastery. There, weakened by illness, he dies. Wolsey’s penitence ultimately transforms him into a tragic figure worthy of pity. Even Katherine, who has great cause to hate the fallen cardinal, forgives him upon learning of the circumstances of his death.
