Henry VIII: Reputation and Reality

Module overview

This module will provide you with an overview of the key events in the reign of Henry VIII including the Field of the Cloth of Gold, the dissolution of the monasteries and war with France in 1513 and 1544. You will have the opportunity to think about what he was like as a king by comparing him with his contemporaries Francis I of France and Charles V of Spain and how he interacted with the leading figures at court such as Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas Cromwell and Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk. This will be set in context through an evaluation of how Henry VIII has been viewed since his death. You will consider Shakespeare's play Henry VIII or All is True as well as a range of representations of the king in art and film in the 19th to 21st centuries.

Aims and Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

the key events which shaped the reign of Henry VIII
a range of primary evidence of Henry VIII's reign
how Henry VIII's reputation has been viewed from the late 16th century to the 21st century

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

evaluate how Henry VIII's reputation has been perceived over time
analyse the significant events in Henry VIII's reign
explain the significance of a range of primary sources, both written and visual

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

Work independently
Analyse written and visual sources
Create a convincing argument and present it in writing

Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods will include: • lectures • seminars Learning activities will include: • independent study, reading and research in preparation for each seminar • in-depth study of textual and visual primary sources • participation in small group and whole seminar discussions

Study time
Type	Hours
Seminar	12
Completion of assessment task	54
Wider reading or practice	36
Preparation for scheduled sessions	36
Lecture	12
Total study time	150

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

A. F. Pollard (1905). Henry VIII. London: Longmans.

D. R. Starkey (1985). The Reign of Henry VIII: Personalities and Politics. London: George Philip.

C. Lloyd and S. Thurley (1990). Henry VIII: Images of a Tudor King. Oxford: Phaidon Press in association with the Historic Royal Palaces Agency.

J. J. Scarisbrick (1968). Henry VIII. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode.

G. R. Elton (1977). Reform and Reformation: England 1509-1558. London: Arnold.

J. Guy (1990). Tudor England. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

A. Fox and J. Guy (1986). Reassessing the Henrician Age: Humanism, Politics and Reform, 1500-1550. Oxford: Blackwell.

G. Bernard (2005). The King's Reformation: Henry VIII and the Remaking of the English Church. New Haven: Yale University Press.

R. Strong (1967). Holbein and Henry VIII. Routledge & K. Paul for the Paul Mellon Foundation for British Art.

Assessment

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Written assignment	40%
Essay	60%

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Resubmit assessments	100%

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Essay	60%
Written assignment	40%

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External