Henry VIII

Study Guide

Each set of questions is based on a chapter in the Graves book. You will be expected to write a 20-25 minute in-class essay on a question based on one of the following eight questions or a combination of them. I will give you a choice of 2-3 questions and you will have to write on one of them. The rest of the period will be used to discuss the book and Henry VIII as a historical figure.

1) What was the background and context of Henry VIII's accession to the throne of England? In what ways was he a different type of person and king from his father?

2) How did Henry VIII want the world to see him and how did the world actually see him? What aspects of Henry VIII's personality contributed to the development of his public image? What circumstances effected how other people saw and described Henry VIII?

3) What was the nature and function of the royal court during the reign of Henry VIII? How was it different from his predecessors and how was it similar?

4) What role did Parliament play in the government of England? What was the relationship between the monarchy and parliament? How did Henry VIII deal with Parliament and how did he compare with other English kings?

5) Who were the chief ministers of Henry VIII and what were their relations with the king? How did Henry VIII use his ministers and how did he abuse them?

6) What was the importance of a secure royal succession for England? How much did Henry VIII value a secure succession and how did this effect his marital history? What were the political and the personal aspects of royal marriage how much did they effect Henry VIII's actions?

7) What was Henry VIII's role in the English Reformation? What was the nature of Henry VIII's religious beliefs and how much did they change over the course of his life?

8) What was the nature and role of warfare during the reign of Henry VIII? What were Henry VIII's policies toward France, Scotland and the lands of Wales and Ireland in his own realm?

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