Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Wolf Hall, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Power, Ambition, and Deception
Poor Leadership and Violence
Children and Human Connection
Dogmatism vs. Open-Mindedness
Myth and Storytelling
Summary
Analysis
The Duke of Norfolk and the Duke of Suffolk arrive at Cardinal Wolsey’s house and tell him that he has been dismissed from his position as Lord Chancellor. They have been instructed by the king to ensure that Wolsey and his household are turned out so the house can be turned into Anne Boleyn’s London residence. Many men come in and begin stripping the house, even taking Wolsey’s clothes from his trunks and the important documents from his chests. Over his scarlet clothes, Wolsey is “wearing a traveling cloak that belongs to someone else; they are confiscating his wardrobe piece by piece, so he has to grab what he can.”
Wolsey’s fortunes have undergone a complete reversal in this section, which shows that power and wealth in the Tudor court lie completely at the mercy of the king’s whims—and right now, the king’s favor rests with Anne Boleyn. Wolsey completely underestimated her, which seems, in hindsight, to be a mistake. Now, she will be replacing him as the resident of his house. Wolsey has a great fondness for expensive clothes that his servants care for painstakingly, but now, his clothes are being dragged out of his trunks with no regard to his privacy, symbolizing that his dignity is in tatters. Wolsey himself is forced to wear a borrowed cloak, which shows that he has lost his wealth and power along with his expensive clothes.
Themes
Still, Wolsey doesn’t lose his composure, and he wonders aloud if they have refreshments for their “visitors.” Cromwell thinks it is an “indecent spectacle” to see “the man who has ruled England, reduced.” As the men evaluate the worth of his jewels and fine clothes, Cromwell wants to tell them that “Thomas Wolsey is a man beyond price.”
Wolsey is admirably composed and genial even though he is being evicted in a disgraceful way. This is evidence of his calm temperament, which Cromwell values greatly. To Cromwell, Wolsey is worth much more than his expensive jewels and clothes, though the king’s men see them as evidence of his greed and corruption.
Themes
Sir William Gascoigne, Wolsey’s treasurer, says that he has heard that the cardinal will be taken straight to the Tower of London. Cromwell denies this, saying that the cardinal will go to his residence in Esher. George Cavendish, the cardinal’s usher, anxiously says that the house in Esher is unfurnished and he also doesn’t know how they will get there. Cromwell says they will take the cardinal’s barge, which hasn’t been seized yet, and sail to Putney, having the cardinal’s horses meet them there. Cromwell can’t shake the feeling that the whole thing feels like a play—“the Cardinal and his Attendants”—and that “it is a tragedy.”
Cromwell takes charge of the situation when he sees that Wolsey is coming dangerously close to being imprisoned in the Tower. As he directs Wolsey’s servants and pretends he knows what must be done next, Cromwell feels like a character in a play—the preposterousness of the situation makes it all seem unreal to him, and he senses that the play is a “tragedy” since it can’t end well for the cardinal. Even in the midst of this worrying situation, Cromwell is able to distance himself from the chaotic events—by seeing them as a play—and perceive them with clarity.
Themes
As they board the cardinal’s barge, they notice groups of people lined up on the bank who are booing the cardinal. The cardinal begins to weep, wondering why the people hate him so much after all he has done for them, and also wondering how the king could throw him out so ignominiously after 20 years of loyal service. Cavendish wonders if it is just the English who are “particularly an ungrateful nation,” but Cromwell says “it’s just people. They always hope there may be something better.” Cromwell once again feels like they are all in a play, this time in “an allegory of Fortune,” with Wolsey representing “Decayed Magnificence” and Cavendish playing the part of the “Virtuous Councilor” who “mutters words of superfluous and belated advice.”
While Cromwell sees Wolsey as a gentle and competent person, Wolsey doesn’t seem to be very popular with the people of London, which shows that there is always more than one angle to a person or situation. This idea is emphasized when Cromwell once again feels like they are all in a play, which suggests that there is no single, objective truth but just characters and situations that are open to interpretation. This time, Cromwell feels like they are in an allegory, which means that he can learn a lesson from what has transpired. This seems to hold true for him because, as a courtier, he never forgets that power can be quickly lost when one falls out of favor with the king.
Themes
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The horses are ready for them at Putney, and Wolsey’s horse is led by Patch, the cardinal’s fool. Henry Norris rides to them, bringing a message and a ring to the cardinal from the king—he says Henry is only pretending to be upset with the cardinal in order to satisfy the cardinal’s many enemies, but that he will compensate him with two times what he has lost. The cardinal begins to cry and gives Norris a chain from around his neck, asking him to speak well of him to the king. Wolsey also makes a present of Patch, who is so upset at this that he bites the men who take him away. The cardinal consoles Patch, saying that the king “is the kindest soul in Christendom.”
King Henry’s message to Wolsey appears to confuse the situation even more, implying that the king himself is powerless against his courtiers. Wolsey, however, is happy to hear that the king is on his side and doesn’t stop to question how the king’s hand might be forced.
Themes
Cromwell asks Norris if they can get all of what he promised in writing, and Norris refuses, saying his words were “a confidential message.” Cromwell asks him about the compensation he mentioned, and Norris laughs and says it was figurative. He says that everything the cardinal owned belongs to the king anyway, so it isn’t theft to take it back. Norris also says that Wolsey’s house in Esher remains his because he still holds his position as the Bishop of Winchester, but that he might not for much longer. Cromwell longs to “shake some straight answers out of Norris” but realizes that things are “not simple,” which is what the cardinal has tried to teach him all these years—that one gets along “by being a subtle crook,” like Norris is.
While Wolsey is desperate and is easily taken in by Henry Norris’s message, Cromwell seems suspicious of these verbal consolations. He is right to be suspicious since Norris cannot provide any guarantees of the king’s favor, and he even seems to hint that Wolsey might soon lose the bishopric of Winchester. Norris seems suave and genial, but Cromwell is irritated by his veiled threats as well as his refusal to give the cardinal any guarantees—in fact, Norris’s slipperiness makes him an ideal courtier, and Cromwell recognizes this.
Themes
At Esher, Cromwell sees that the kitchen is in disrepair and he tries to put it in order, telling the staff that Wolsey might stay there awhile. He and Cavendish stay up late, planning out what all they might need to make the house comfortable for the cardinal since it lacks basic necessities like beds and plates. They are also faced with the problem of the cardinal’s 600 employees—they expect at least 300 to follow him around, but they don’t have “ready money for wages.”
Wolsey’s circumstances have undergone a complete change. He has been left without money or resources and must live in an unfurnished house which is in a state of disrepair. He is accustomed to a life of luxury—he has 600 employees who follow him from house to house to ensure he is comfortable. His lavish lifestyle might explain why the people of London dislike him so much, and it points to him being possibly corrupt and overly ambitious. Luckily for him, Cromwell and Cavendish are extremely loyal and work hard to improve Wolsey’s situation.
Themes
Cavendish wonders who will be the new Lord Chancellor, and Cromwell guesses it will be Thomas More. Cavendish wonders why the king had to defer to Wolsey’s enemies, and he says that perhaps the king is scared of “her” since she is a witch. Cromwell asks him not to be childish. The next morning, Cromwell sends Cavendish to call in favors on the cardinal’s behalf in order to get some money. Cromwell plans to get his clerks down from London so they can work out how much money the cardinal still has.
Cavendish says that perhaps the king is scared of Anne Boleyn because she is a witch. Cromwell is quick to dismiss this as being “childish,” but he doesn’t seem to guess as yet that she does have great power over the king and might have played a big role in Wolsey’s dismissal.
Themes
