Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Anne boleyn'

Writers and historians from earlier centuries imagined Anne Boleyn as a villain; a forward and evil woman intent on destroying Henry VII and his image. Modern accounts have been more accommodating, offering that she was misunderstood due to the constraints of the times. In an attempt to discover the historical Anne, I will be comparing and contrasting how she has been perceived in fiction and non-fiction literature, and will examine how the perception of Anne has shifted through time.

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, has been the subject of fictional and nonfictional historical narratives since her execution in 1536. Although already a contentious figure for her role in Henry VIII’s annulment of his first marriage and England’s ensuing break from the Roman Catholic Church, the nature of her death ensured that she would become a focus of examination, intrigue and scrutiny. This fascination is, in part, fuelled by limited primary source materials, particularly from Boleyn’s perspective; there is an accepted, familiar narrative of her life that is defined by landmark events, however we cannot know precisely how she experienced these events. The reasons for her death are unclear because conclusive evidence confirming either her guilt or her innocence is yet to be uncovered. This combination of fascination and ambiguity means that Anne Boleyn is an apt case study for a consideration of the tensions between history and fiction that appear in all historical narratives. In recent decades, postmodern historiography has highlighted the literary qualities of histories, and scholars such as Hayden White have drawn attention to the narrativisation, emplotment and characterisation that occur in both fictional and non-fictional histories. The role of the historian as author—rather than as objective observer—has been integral to such scholarship. This study examines ten twenty-firstcentury historical narratives, encompassing a range of historical writing, including academic histories, popular biographies, historiographic metafiction and historical fiction. In spite of variations in style, audience, genre and veracity, each of the focus texts constructs both a characterisation of Boleyn and a narrative of her life. A close textual analysis of these narratives reveals that there are representational techniques and practices that are shared by the authors, regardless of their claims to authenticity and accuracy. Thus, the thesis rejects the apparent disjuncture between fictional and non-fictional histories on the basis of their capacity to relate truth, and argues that these texts should each be considered examples of historical writing.

The aim of this research project was the investigation of a subculture surrounding the famous Tudor queen Anne Boleyn; what that possible subculture means for those involved, and if it constituted part of a new phenomenon of female orientated online subcultures; cybersubcultures. Through the analysis of film, TV, historical literature and fiction, the research illustrates how subcultures are perpetuated through generations cyclically. The research then documents the transition from the traditional or ‘classic’ subcultural model of the 60s to the 21st century cybersubculture and fandom, suggesting a new way of thinking about subcultures in a post-subcultural age. The research suggests that the positioning of Anne Boleyn as a feminist icon/role model, based mainly on a media-mediated image, has formed a subculture which thrives on disjointed imagery and discourse in order to form a subculture of peculiarly subtle resistance. This new cybersubculture reflects the ways in which women are now able to use social media to form communities and to communicate, sharing concerns over men and marriage, all whilst percolating around the media-mediated image of Anne Boleyn as their starting point. These interactions – and the similarities they shared with the ‘classic’ subcultural style - form the data for this research project. The behaviours are analysed by using a symbolic interactionism approach which best develops the relationship of the fans against this mediamediated image; it show the ways in which the fans gain meaning through the various media depictions of Anne Boleyn and then integrate them into their own lives, exploring issues of masquerade and commodification in the process. Symbolic interactionism also shows how fans engage with Anne Boleyn’s myriad representations as a wronged woman, tragic figure, temptress and traitor. These images are then interpreted through a contemporary ‘pseudo-feminist’ lens. One of the underlying questions posed by the research is: do the fans sufficiently understand the complexities and contradictions in moulding such a divisive figure into a feminist icon? If so, then this can be seen as a ‘flawed project of persuasion’ on the part of Anne Boleyn’s partisans, and part of modern fandom’s usurpation of the conventional reading of texts as a whole. Regarding the question of the ‘flawed project of persuasion’, the research hypothesises that these fans gravitate toward Anne Boleyn partly because she is a contentious figure; feeling disenfranchised themselves, they covet an icon that also projects that persona. As proto-feminists they have chosen a high-achiever, someone who was challenging and remains challenging because of what they represent; this further cements the fact that the fans are subcultural, because they are rebelling against the norm in the choice of their icon – the fact Anne Boleyn herself rebelled against societal norms only closes the case as far as they are concerned.

Starting from the manuscripts of the Love Letters of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn, preserved at the Vatican Library, I give a transcription of the said letters. This study continues by analysing differences which were present in the modern editions of the same missives, and in setting them through the period in which they were written, i.e. late years 1520s. Consequently, I will set them from an historical point of view, taking into account the sources of information of that epoch, i.e. prevalently letters of the ambassadors present at the English Court. Following that, thanks to said primary sources, we will analyse the love story of Henry VIII with his second wife, trying to find a possible explanation at her catastrophic end. New views of their bond were also present in this essay.

Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) served as King of England from 1509 until his death in 1547. A melancholic character, Henry was known for his many marriages, his temper, his bouts of tyranny, and his break with the Catholic Church. Most authors, even those writing contemporary accounts, portray Henry as a villain. Hilary Mantel paints Henry differently. In Wolf Hall and Bringing up the Bodies, the King is as he has always been; argumentative, sardonic, and excessive. However, Mantel chooses to augment these parts of his character with some of his better traits, giving the King a softer edge that is often lost to his actions and infamy. An analysis of Mantel’s writing, as compared to the historical record, sheds new light on Henry VIII and invites readers, through the joy of historical fiction, to be more open in their interpretation of the King.

Queen Anne Boleyn (~1507-1536) failed to meet social norms during her time as Queen Consort to Henry VIII (1491-1548). By tracing concepts of queenship through the works of Chrétien de Troyes, Andreas Capellanus, Thomas Malory, and Juan Luis Vives this thesis demonstrates how Anne united the office of queen and mistress to bring her downfall and introduce a new construct of queenship.

The intention of this thesis is to describe the process of putting together a performance of a lecture recital on the song cycle Try Me, Good King: Last words of the wives of Henry VIII by modern composer Libby Larsen, and to conduct an in depth exploration of the characters of the first five wives of King Henry VIII of England. Each wife’s character will be investigated in relation to their roles in this song cycle which draws its’ text from the final words of these five women. Each wife’s character will be investigated from three perspectives, that of history, that of Libby Larsen, my own perspective (Morgan Tingle). The ultimate result will be a solid developed character for each wife that is the culmination of my studies portrayed by myself, soprano Morgan Tingle, in the final lecture recital.

O tema de minha tese de doutorado é o estudo de representações da personagem histórica feminina Anna Bolena, configuradas em textos do âmbito da história e do âmbito da literatura contemporâneas. O corpus analisado na pesquisa é composto pelos romances de língua inglesa contemporâneos: The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn (1997), da escritora estado-unidense Robin Maxwell; e Dear heart, How Like You This? (2002), da escritora australiana Wendy J. Dunn. E pelos textos do registro histórico: Life and Death of Anne Boleyn: The Most Happy (2004), de Eric Ives; e Anne Boleyn, capítulo do livro Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII (2003), de David Starkey. Ambos acreditados historiadores britânicos. Tendo em vista o corpus assinalado, busco demonstrar ao longo do estudo a tese de que tanto discursos históricos quanto discursos literários anglófonos contemporâneos constroem índices diferenciados de legitimidade e visibilidade à personagem histórica Anna Bolena; cuja importância histórica foi, até recentemente, negada e diminuída através de processos de envilecimento, deslegitimação, silenciamento e apagamento. Dentre as conclusões, destaco a confirmação da tese proposta. Ou seja, os discursos históricos e literários estudados se apropriam da figura de Anna Bolena em um movimento de resgate e reabilitação da memória apagada, fragmentada, vilanizada e demonizada da personagem histórica. Os historiadores, Ives e Starkey, reescreveram a história de Anna, com base em novas evidências surgidas no final do século XX; bem como, em uma investigação acurada e novas interpretações das informações presentes em fontes já conhecidas. O resultado é que Anne ganhou visibilidade e legitimidade históricas, na medida em que aspectos da vida dela, antes desconsiderados, como a educação e o envolvimento na Reforma Religiosa, passaram a ser representados em discursos de prestigiados historiadores britânicos. Ao se tornar o centro de discursos acreditados, Anna Bolena é legitimada e se torna visível no quadro histórico. As romancistas, Dunn e Maxwell, desconstroem mitos negativos em torno da personagem histórica ao apresentá-los sob uma nova perspectiva. Os textos literários, devido à liberdade imaginativa, que lhes é peculiar, dão ênfase, especialmente, a um aspecto não coberto pela história devido à escassez de fontes: a psicologia da personagem. Nos textos híbridos que surgem da intersecção entre literatura e história, passado e presente, ex-colônia e ex-metrópole, o passado é re-escrito com as tintas vivas de um presente marcado por movimentos e expressões de descolonização.
The theme of my PhD research is the study of representations of Anne Boleyn in texts from contemporary literature and history. The corpus analyzed in the research is composed of the novels The secret diary of Anne Boleyn, by the North American novelist Robin Maxwell; and Dear heart, how like you this?, by the Australian novelist Wendy J. Dunn. And the historical texts Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, by Eric Ives; and "Anne Boleyn", chapter of the book Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII, by David Starkey. Both are credited British Historians. Considering the corpus, I demonstrate the thesis that contemporary Anglophone historical discourses, as well as, contemporary Anglophone literary discourses, build different hints of legitimacy and visibility to the historical character Anne Boleyn, whose importance was denied and diminished, until a short time ago. And so it is. The literary and historical discourses analyzed appropriate the image of Anna Bolena in a movement towards rescuing and rehabilitating her memory, which was erased, fragmented, vilified, and demonized. The historians, Ives and Starkey, wrote new versions of her life history based on new evidence found at the end of the twentieth century, as well as, on accurate investigation and fresh interpretations of old sources. They included, in their report, aspects not considered before, such as her education and her participation in the English Religious Reformation. The result of all these procedures is that Anne achieved visibility and legitimacy in the historical scene. The novelists, Dunn and Maxwell, deconstruct negative myths about Anne Boleyn presenting them according to a new perspective. The literary texts, because of their imaginative freedom, especially emphasize an aspect that, due to lack of sources, is not covered by history: the psychology of the character. In these hybrid texts that emerge from the intersection between literature and history, past and present, former metropolis and former colony, the past is re-written with the vivid colors of the present, that are marked by movements and expressions of de-colonization.

Before the reformation and the schism of the Catholic Church, it had always been the duty of the Church and not of the state, to undertake the seven corporal works of mercy; feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick, visit the prisoner, and bury the dead.¹ By dissolving these institutions, Henry had unwittingly created what would become a social disaster of biblical proportions. In essence, this act was rendering thousands of the poor and elderly without a home or shelter, it denied the country of much of the medical aid that has been offered by the church, it denied future generations of thousands of volumes of books and scriptures from the monastic libraries, as well as denied many an education who would have otherwise never received one without the help of the Church. The ultimate goal of my thesis is to prove my hypothesis that the dissolution of the monasteries by King Henry VIII was not merely a contributory factor in the need for the creation of poor laws, but the deciding factor (in a myriad of societal issues) for their creation. Footnote 1: Matthew 25 vv. 32-46.
B.A.
Bachelors
Sciences
Political Science

碩士
國立臺灣大學
外國語文學研究所
92
This thesis examines the historic and dramatic representations of Anne Boleyn, who played a uniquely important role in Tudor history, and in particular during the Reformation. The influence of Anne Boleyn on the Reformation in England has been much neglected by historians and critics. No full-scale critical investigation of this topic had ever been undertaken until E. W. Ives’ monumental work on Anne Boleyn in 1986, which contributed to a revival of historical interest in her. Ives’ work resulted in years of controversial debates centering on her religious views and reasons for her fall. Yet, the revival of interest in Anne Boleyn was mainly confined to history, and did not deal with the fascination she held as a subject for poets, portrait artists and, especially, playwrights. This thesis begins with a discussion of twentieth-century scholarly debates over major aspects of Anne Boleyn’s identity. It is followed by a close reading of two plays about Anne Boleyn, Shakespeare’s Henry VIII (1613) and John Banks’ Vertue Betrayed, or Anna Bullen (1682) respectively, within their historical contexts. The portrayal of Anne Boleyn in drama can be seen as a culmination of changing political and religious circumstances. This thesis will demonstrate that historical writings and dramatic works of Anne Boleyn, rather than offering an accurate or full account of her life, seek to draw upon certain aspects of her life that best accommodate their own political or religious agendas. Before her execution, Anne Boleyn’s final plea to the crowds “If anye persone wyll medle of my cause, I require them to judge the best” was never fulfilled.

Celem pracy jest zbadanie roli trzech pierwszych żon Henryka VIII w sprawowaniu faktycznej władzy w Wielkiej Brytanii działając „zza kulis” przy jednoczesnym ograniczaniu władzy Henryka VIII. Autor pracy bada czy najważniejsze decyzje w kraju, które zmieniły wizerunek państwa brytyjskiego były podejmowane i końcowo wcielane w życie przez lub dzięki żonom Henryka VIII, których początkowym bądź też późniejszym celem często nie było samo małżeństwo z królem, ale był to jedynie środek do osiągnięcia wyższych celów.

There have been many publications written about Henry VIII. It was his private life, because of which he primarily went down in history. Henry inherited the royal throne at a very young age. The Tudor dynasty ascended the English throne just for one generation. Henry's father ended the long−standing civil war. However, the fear of its continuation still remained. The most important task for the young king was to stabilize the position of the dynasty and to protect the throne against other pretenders. His whole life Henry lived in fear, that without a male heir, his family would be brought down. Catherine of Aragon became Henry's wife. There were many benefits from this union for England. The island kingdom was actively involved in continental policy. Nevertheless, Catherine was not able to give birth to an heir to England and fell into disgrace. Her nephew, Holy Roman Emperor, was the most powerfull ruler of the Christian Europe. Although he tried to prevent the annulment of their marriage by various means, he failed. Throughout his reign Charles was in a war conflict with the French king. He needed England like an ally against France even at the cost of his aunt's repudiation, which would remain without retaliation.

碩士
國立臺北藝術大學
音樂學系碩士班聲樂組
103
Inspired by the marriage between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn during Tudor period in English history, Italian composer Gaetano Donizatti (1797-1848) and librettist Felice Romani (1788-1865) have co-written the opera Anna Bolena. Anne Boleyn (as in Anna Bolena) was the second wife of Henry VIII, who gave birth to Elizabeth I. In order to marry Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII initiated the English Reformation, which resulted in the breaking away of English Church from Catholic Church in Rome. As head of English Church, Henry VIII divorced his first wife Catherine of Aragon legally and subsequently married Anne Boleyn. However, like Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn failed to give birth to a son that Henry desired. Their relationship worsened after Anne’s miscarriage. Anne Boleyn was later accused of adultery with a court musician, as well as with her brother. She was arrested and placed in the Tower of London on charges of incest and treason, which led to her eventual execution in public. Just eleven days later, Henry VIII married his third wife, Jane Seymour – Anne’s maid of honour before her execution. Anna Bolena was an important turning point for Donizatti; it is at this point, his successes in composing comedies were replicated in creating tragedy. The evocative lyrics and the dramatic script paved the way to his later achievements in career; Anna Bolena has also become the model romantic tragedy of its time. This paper has chosen to focus on Piangete Voi? ...Al dolce guidami castel natio from The Mad Scene (Act II) as the research topic. This paper consists of five parts. Through study of historic events and examination of the life and work of Gaetano Donezatti and Felice Romani, this paper sought to explore the role of Anne Boleyn in the opera Anna Bolena.