Henry VIII - Man, Monarch, Monster

Episode 2 - Bloodlust and Boleyn's

Henry VIII meets Anne Boleyn and falls head over heals in love with Anne Boleyn, a new arrival from France to the English court.  She is not a classical English beauty, but is intelligent and witty.  Henry VIII is charmed by her.  She is determined to keep Henry at arm's length, was this a ploy to become queen or was it simply a matter of not having a choice? Their love story causes much upheaval for England as Henry VIII decides to divorce Catherine to marry Anne in order to get a son.  A son is the only person who can succeed to the English throne.  England's religious are thrown into turmoil as Henry VIII breaks with the Catholic Church.  Now, courtiers who thought themselves friends of the King must constantly look over their shoulders. The historians exploring Henry VIII as a Monarch go to an interesting source to learn about the relationship between Anne and Henry.

Things with Anne do not go according to plan as she only produces a daughter.  This time the solution Henry VIII comes up with entails getting rid of an unwanted wife...permanently.  Henry VIII starts his slide into madness and will become the Monster history makes him out to be.

If you need some research into Henry VIII for a class lecture, I recommend you use this documentary just for the fact it offers another perspective on Henry VIII, more so than the typical "Henry VIII was a madman."

I created several questions to go with this documentary.  Just copy and paste them into a word document to distribute in the classroom just in case you decide to use this series in the classroom.  Since there's a lot available out there on Henry VIII, I want the student to have a chance to reflect on what they learned about Henry VIII.  You can format anyway you want. 

For use in the classroom: just highlight, copy and paste into a word document or a google document for use in the classroom.  You can easily format these questions to your specifications.

Link to the YouTube video is here.

Questions

1. Who did Henry VIII want to marry?
2. Where are the letters of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn kept?
3. Who was Henry VIII’s secret weapon in spreading the new religion?
4. Who many monasteries were closed under Henry VIII?
5. Who Henry VIII’s former friend that was executed?
6. List three new things you learned about Henry VIII

Answers

1. Who did Henry VIII want to marry? - Anne Boleyn
2. Where are the letters of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn kept? - Vatican
3. Who was Henry VIII’s secret weapon in spreading the new religion? - Thomas Cromwell
4. Who many monasteries were closed under Henry VIII? - 563 Monasteries
5. Who Henry VIII’s former friend that was executed? - Thomas More

     6. List three new things you learned about Henry VIII