Internet Shakespeare Editions

Shakespeare in Performance: Film

Parables of Power: Shakespeare's Henry VIII (1987)

TitleParables of Power: Shakespeare's Henry VIII
Year1987
Release LocationsUSA
MediumColor video with sound
Length38 mins
Play ConnectionsKing Henry VIII (educational)

Description

"Appropriately introduced by Niccolo Machiavelli, scenes from Shakespeare's Henry VIII depict the king's struggle to consolidate power as absolute monarch. By highlighting the play's subtext, the film reveals how Cardinal Wolsey, Queen Catherine of Aragon, and Anne Boleyn, each played their own game of power. A rich spectrum of location shots provides a tapestry of background for Shakespeare's 'parable of power'" (IAS Catalog)

Description from Shakespeare on Screen : an International Filmography and Videography by Kenneth S. Rothwell and Annabelle Henkin Melzer. ©1990 Kenneth S. Rothwell. Cited by permission. — Added 2008-11-14

Production information courtesy of: Kenneth Rothwell