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York Place / Whitehall
The fabulously wealthy Cardinal Wolsey lives in an estate called York Place, which is where he hosts the party where Henry first encounters Anne, in act 1, scene 4. However, when Henry later strips Wolsey of his title, he also takes possession of all his wealth—including his property. As we find out in act 4, scene 1, the king appropriates York Place for himself and gives it a new name. One gentleman explains the matter to another: “You must no more call it York place; that’s past, / For since the Cardinal fell, that title’s lost. / ’Tis now the King’s and called ‘Whitehall’” (4.1.113–15). The change in the estate’s name symbolizes the ever-shifting cycle of power. When Wolsey falls, he loses everything, and his loss is someone else’s gain. Adding to the irony, the king uses Whitehall to host the coronation ceremony for Anne, whom Wolsey despised. Yet even as Anne is crowned queen in Wolsey’s former residence, the audience would have known that she, too, is destined for a fall. Intriguingly, the audience would also have known that Whitehall would later be taken over by King James I, who held court there. Just as every rise entails a fall, every fall enables a rise.
Garlands of Bay
Midway through Katherine’s final scene in the play, she grows tired and takes a nap. While she sleeps, she has a dream that is elaborately staged for the audience. The dream features six figures in white robes and masks who assemble around her and dance with “garlands of bay.” The stage directions describe their dance: “They first congee [i.e., bow] unto her, then dance; and, at certain changes, the first two [Personages] hold a spare garland over her head, at which the other four make reverent curtsies” (4.2.89 SD). Traditionally, bay was used as a symbol of triumph, and bay garlands would have been worn by military conquerors or revered poets. This traditional symbolism is relevant to this scene, where the masked figures are clearly honoring Katherine with their garland-laden dance. Katherine confirms this symbolism when she wakes up and tells her attendants about these dream figures: “They promised me eternal happiness / And brought me garlands, Griffith, which I feel I am not worthy yet to wear: I shall, assuredly” (4.2.99–101). As she nears death, Katherine remains a much-honored figure who, despite her downfall, has symbolically triumphed by keeping her head high.
The King’s Seal and Ring
Both the king’s seal and his ring figure prominently in the play, and both symbolize the power of the sovereign. More specifically, though, the seal and the ring each symbolize how the king can deputize his power to others. Thus, when the king bestows his official seal to Wolsey, he bestows limited authority on the cardinal to act in his name. Of course, Wolsey takes advantage of the authority invested in him through the seal, and when he gets caught, the king demands to have his seal back, thereby demonstrating that power resides ultimately with him. The king’s ring represents the same ability of the king to deputize his power. Unlike the seal, the king usually wears the ring of power on his person. In the play, however, Henry gives Cranmer his ring to safeguard the archbishop against the petty scheming of other members of the Privy Council. Henry instructs Cranmer to seek his own way out of the dilemma, but if the other lords get vicious, then Cranmer can show them the ring and demand an immediate audience with the king. Here, the ring deputizes power in a way that symbolizes the king’s protection.
