Bring Up The Bodies

Cromwell’s political prominence means that he is constantly navigating enmity and alliances, which is the focus of his actions in Chapter 2. Stephen Gardiner, who is, like nearly all the characters in the novel, a historical figure, is introduced as a primary antagonist in the novel. The tension between Gardiner and Cromwell was established in Wolf Hall and continues in Bring Up the Bodies. Like Cromwell, Gardiner achieved political power by working alongside Wolsey and Thomas More, securing Henry’s favor, and helping Henry to secure the dissolution of his marriage to Katherine. Gardiner was Master Secretary from 1529 until 1534, when Cromwell replaced him. The feuding between the two men reveals both Cromwell’s shrewd nature and the tense atmosphere of the Tudor court, where individuals could fall from grace as quickly as they rose, highlighting The Precarious Nature of Favoritism. Historically, Gardiner lived through the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI, serving as Lord Chancellor to Queen Mary after she became queen in 1553.

Anne Boleyn is also presented as an antagonist. When Cromwell recalls an earlier meeting with Anne, he compares her dress to “grey-pink intestines looped out of a living body” and her pearls to “little beads of fat” (38). This imagery foreshadows the gruesome death that awaits Anne later in the novel and shows that, rather than symbolizing beauty and sensuality, Anne evokes death and disgust. These musings foreshadow that either Cromwell will contribute to Anne’s death or that she will contribute to his. Cromwell believes that Anne was a key player in turning Henry against Wolsey, and, thus, he holds her indirectly responsible for his death. As queen, Anne has significant power, but as Henry’s interest wanes, Cromwell gains the upper hand.

At this stage of the plot, Cromwell’s motivations are limited to making Jane Henry’s mistress and profiting as a result. He muses, “[I]f they play this carefully, Edward Seymour will rise within the court, and give [Cromwell] an ally where allies are scarce” (40). Cromwell understands that his power and influence need to be consolidated through a network of supporters, and these need to constantly be cultivated. With Anne seemingly secure in her power, both she and her family are disinclined to cooperate with Cromwell. Cromwell sees Jane, and Henry’s other women, as a means to gain alliances with other men. This attitude was common in the Tudor era when marriage was used as a tool to consolidate power and alliances. Ironically, Anne becomes displeased with Cromwell because he fails to successfully arrange a marriage between her infant daughter Elizabeth and a French prince; children could become engaged decades before an official marriage would be contracted. While Anne herself was used as a pawn to advance her family’s ambitions, she uses her own daughter in the same way. Her willingness to replicate these patterns reflects the theme of Rivalry and Cruelty Between Women because she treats her daughter the same way that her own family manipulated her.

Anne’s ambition for her daughter contrasts with Katherine’s relationship with her daughter, Mary, who has been separated from Katherine for years. Henry and Anne resent Katherine and Mary’s continued presence. While some individuals who opposed Anne’s marriage to Henry, such as Thomas More, have been eliminated, Katherine and Mary are uncomfortable reminders that it is not so easy to erase the past. Katherine is a person of conviction; despite the political advantages she may gain, she won’t deny her belief that she is Henry’s rightful wife. The silk roses she treasures symbolize her constancy and unwavering conviction. Unlike real flowers, which wilt and die, silk flowers endure. Cromwell is frustrated by Katherine but also respects her, mirroring his perception of Thomas More. While Cromwell is politically expedient and willing to follow shifting loyalties (and even religious beliefs), he feels a begrudging admiration for individuals like More and Katherine who remain consistent even if it will cost them everything.

As a historical figure, Cromwell is often remembered primarily for his role in the dissolution of the monasteries of England. In 1534, Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy, which legally rendered Henry VIII the Supreme Head of the Church of England, and More was executed after refusing to take an oath avowing Henry’s status as the head of the church. At this time, many religious houses, such as monasteries, convents, and friaries, controlled large swathes of land and significant wealth. Despite expectations that monks and nuns would live lives of chastity, obedience, and poverty, some had lavish and indulgent lifestyles.

Critiques of the monastic lifestyle had existed for decades before the Reformation. For example, despite being a devout Catholic, More used his philosophical treatise Utopia, in which he imagines an ideal society, to criticize excesses and indulgences. While some of the motives for dissolving the monasteries likely came from a genuine desire to purge bad influences and restore simplicity to religious devotion, doing so had undeniable benefits to the English crown. Selling off religious institutions’ property and land vastly enriched Henry VIII. English manor houses with the word “abbey” in the name allude to the property having been an abbey or monastery before being purchased by an aristocratic family.

This section furthers Cromwell’s characterization as ruthless yet motivated by social progress. He reflects that “England needs better roads, and bridges that don’t collapse,” and he is crafting “a bill for Parliament to give employment to men without work” (43). Cromwell is a pragmatist, who realizes that the wealth held by the monasteries could create significant change and help to modernize and improve life for Henry’s subjects. He is willing to use harsh means to attain that wealth, but he views himself as ultimately working toward the common good. Cromwell’s willingness to act ostensibly out of religious commitment but with an eye to other aims develops the theme of Ambiguity Between Truth, Lies, and Rumors since Cromwell has no qualms about gaps between his apparent and actual motivations.