Antonio Bonvisi Character Analysis in Wolf Hall

Bonvisi is an Italian merchant who is friends with Thomas More. After Wolsey is dismissed from his position as Lord Chancellor, Bonvisi invites Cromwell to dinner to try and convince him to stay away from court. More realizes that Cromwell will be a formidable force if he takes up Anne Boleyn’s cause, and he asks Bonvisi to arrange the dinner in an attempt to prevent this from happening. Bonvisi, of course, doesn’t succeed in his mission.

Antonio Bonvisi Character Timeline in Wolf Hall

The timeline below shows where the character Antonio Bonvisi appears in Wolf Hall. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Power, Ambition, and Deception Theme Icon

Dogmatism vs. Open-Mindedness Theme Icon

In the spring of 1530, a wealthy merchant named Antonio Bonvisi invites Cromwell for dinner. He is surprised to find that Thomas More is at the... (full context)

Bonvisi tries to end the argument, but Cromwell refuses to back down. He says that More... (full context)

After the dinner is over and the guests have left, Cromwell asks Bonvisi if he knows why Thomas Wyatt left “the English court in such haste” three years... (full context)

Bonvisi tells Cromwell that the cardinal “is finished,” and that soon Cromwell will be “a man... (full context)

Thomas More is wasting away in prison, so Cromwell lets More’s friend Antonio Bonvisi bring him food. When Bonvisi asks Cromwell not to hurt More, Cromwell says he has... (full context)