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King Henry VIII
The first wife of King Henry VIII. She was originally married to Henry’s older brother, Arthur, but he died less than a year after their wedding. She was the daughter of the King and Queen of Spain, and so her marriage to Arthur was strategic—it was mean to unite the two countries. After Arthur died, she was married to Henry to preserve the political union. Because the Bible specifically forbids a man from “laying with” his brother’s wife, Henry had to write to the Pope to get his marriage approved. Later, after Catherine had been unable to give birth to a son, he tried to divorce her on the grounds that the Pope’s approval didn’t count, and the marriage had never been legitimate. She never appears onstage.
Catherine of Aragon Quotes in A Man for All Seasons
The A Man for All Seasons quotes below are all either spoken by Catherine of Aragon or refer to Catherine of Aragon. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1
Quotes
Chapuys: I have a personal letter for you.
More: From who?
Chapuys: My master, the King of Spain. You will take it?
More: I will not lay a finger on it.
Chapuys: It is in no way an affair of State. It expresses my master’s admiration for the stand which you and Bishop Fisher of Rochester have taken over the so-called divorce of Queen Catherine.
More: I have taken no stand!
Chapuys: But your views, Sir Thomas, are well known—
More: My views are much guessed at…
…
Chapuys: But, Sir Thomas, your views—
More: Are well known you say. It seems my loyalty to my King is less so!
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire A Man for All Seasons LitChart as a printable PDF.
Catherine of Aragon Quotes in A Man for All Seasons
The A Man for All Seasons quotes below are all either spoken by Catherine of Aragon or refer to Catherine of Aragon. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1
Quotes
Chapuys: I have a personal letter for you.
More: From who?
Chapuys: My master, the King of Spain. You will take it?
More: I will not lay a finger on it.
Chapuys: It is in no way an affair of State. It expresses my master’s admiration for the stand which you and Bishop Fisher of Rochester have taken over the so-called divorce of Queen Catherine.
More: I have taken no stand!
Chapuys: But your views, Sir Thomas, are well known—
More: My views are much guessed at…
…
Chapuys: But, Sir Thomas, your views—
More: Are well known you say. It seems my loyalty to my King is less so!
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
