Sjömansbiblioteket

‘Henry VIII’ is a highly entertaining historical play by William Shakespeare that dramatizes court intrigues and personal vendettas between the King’s advisors. King Henry starts to question his marriage to Queen Katherine after becoming enamoured with a young woman named Anne Boleyn. While Henry deals with his marital issues and his growing attraction to Anne, his noblemen battle with the treacherous Cardinal Wolsey, who conspires against the Queen. As Katherine faces the court, Wolsey further betrays the Monarchy and Henry embarks on a course that will change history. This play is one of Shakespeare’s finest dramas as it combines conspiracy, romance, and death into a thrilling tale that remains remarkably readable to this day. Melodic dialogue expresses the characters’ inner turmoil as loyalties are tested throughout the riveting story. Fans of British historical dramas such as ‘The Tudors’ starring Henry Cavill and Natalie Dormer, or ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’ starring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson will enjoy this compelling and provocative version of Henry VIII’s reign.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an English playwright and poet who is often referred to as ‘The Bard’ due to his standing as one of the most talented poets ever. Considered the greatest dramatist of all time, he is widely regarded as the most influential English language writer. Shakespeare has not only inspired authors such as Herman Melville and Charles Dickens, but many phrases used commonly today were coined by The Bard including ‘break the ice’. Shakespeare’s timeless plays are still studied to this day and focus on the range of human emotion, romance, and conflict while remaining endlessly entertaining. Shakespeare is the best-selling playwright of all time and his works have been translated into more than 100 languages. Much of his celebrated work has been adapted into movies including ‘Romeo and Juliet’ starring Leonardo DiCaprio and ‘Macbeth’ starring Academy Award winners Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand.