SOURCE: Young, Alan R. “Shakespeare's Henry VIII and the Theme of Conscience.” English Studies in Canada 7, no. 1 (spring 1981): 38-53.

In the following essay, Young identifies the theme of conscience as the central and unifying element of Henry VIII.

Shakespeare's Henry VIII has been criticized for its lack of structural coherence; for its inconsistent presentation of characters; for its lack of sustained thematic unity; and for its linguistic deficiencies. Various theories, among them that Shakespeare wrote the play in collaboration with John Fletcher, have been argued in explanation (if not always in defence) of these supposed inadequacies. It has been suggested, for example, that the play's structure is epic rather than tragic and that the presentation of characters is consistent once that structure is understood.¹ It has also been suggested that readers and actors have in the past mistakenly substituted popular misconceptions about the historical Henry VIII for the...