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Mar. 19th, 2021 06:47 pmCHARACTER
Character Name: Anne Boleyn
Character Age: 35
Canon: Six Tudor Queens
Canon Point: after her execution
History: here It should also be mentioned that while in the court of Margaret of Austria, she read the works of Christine Pizan, an early feminist writer who argued that women could rule as well as men could. This writing leads to a lot of her behavior while queen. She also became acquainted with Leonardo daVinci in the court of Francoise of France and he also left a strong impression on her. However, while in Francoise's court, her sister Mary was raped by Francoise. This left Anne with a strong hatred of rape and those who commit it, though she's forced into conflicted feelings when her brother, George, confesses to rape.
Personality: Anne is a very complex woman, capable vindictive rage for her enemies but who shows grace in her final few days.
With her initial enemy, Cardinal Wolsey, she starts a campaign of undermining Henry's trust and faith in Wolsey by pointing out his every error and employing spies in his household to report back on what he did or didn't do to secure what Anne wanted. He had been in charge of obtaining an annulment of Henry's first marriage so that he could marry Anne. Anne feels that he does not have Henry's best interests at heart. She works to turn several of Henry's most influential friends against Wolsey and isn't satisfied until he is publicly disgraced and then dies. After Wolsey's death, Anne proposes a masque depicting the descent of Cardinal Wolsey into Hell.
Anne's antipathy towards Wolsey predates her involvement with Henry. When Anne was younger, she entered into a precontracted engagement with Henry Percy who worked in Wolsey's household and far outmatched Anne in rank. Wolsey forced Henry Percy into breaking the engagement and when Anne went to Wolsey's household to confront him in the matter, he enraged her by referring to her in public as a foolish girl and refused to listen to her argument that the engagement was legal and valid.
Her other enemy, Catherine of Aragon, Anne once served as a lady in waiting. It was there that she caught the attentions of Henry VIII. Anne initially was unimpressed by Henry, finding him not very handsome and boorish as he'd been known to take mistresses, including Anne's own sister, Mary. However, Anne saw in Henry a path to power, to put into action her belief that a woman could rule as well as a man. She found the idea of the crown far more appealing than any love for Henry.
In fact, Anne was never in love with Henry at all. She was in love with the idea of being queen and was physically and emotionally attracted to Henry Norris, one of Henry VIII's courtiers. She found sex with Henry VIII physically and emotionally unsatisfying and when she tried to spice up their love life, Henry objected. This irritated Anne, but she continued to let Henry have his way in the bedroom despite her lack of passion because she knew that her power was contingent of Henry getting a son on her.
Despite her lack of love for Henry VIII as a man, she goes out of her way to treat Catherine of Aragon with disrespect. Initially, Anne felt genuine sympathy for Catherine as Anne was trying to replace her as Henry's wife and knew that the proceedings to make it happen would be humiliating for the dignified Catherine. However, as Catherine continues insisting that she alone is Henry VIII's true wife, Anne's sympathy turns into petty rage.
Anne starts making greater and greater demands of Henry for the things and rights which belonged to Catherine. Anne can't deny to herself that she's doing the things she's doing (such as taking Catherine's river barge and the crown jewels away) out of anger and injured pride. Anne bedecks herself in the latest fashions as a contrast to Catherine and arranges for a witty and sophisticated court to attend her because it suits her tastes to be surrounded by poets, musicians, and great wits.
Anne is keenly aware of how she's perceived by others. She's embarrassed by her status of the scandal of Christendom because she stays chaste until just before her wedding to Henry VIII. She knows that the common folk hate her, but she tries to respond with charitable works. Her house in London is attacked by a mob and she is terrified. She knows exactly which courtiers like her and which ones do not and provides favorable treatment to those who like her.
In her treatment of her daughter, Anne is fickle. She finds herself unable to love the child as Elizabeth is not the son she promised Henry VIII she could provide. She takes a very hand-off approach to mothering, visiting her daughter rarely and buying her extravagant clothes and jewelry as a way of making up for the lack of maternal warmth Anne feels. She feels guilty about not loving her daughter and is devastated at the loss of three sons to miscarriage or stillbirth.
However, it is in Anne's fall that we see her true self come to the surface.
When she realizes that Jane Seymour is attempting to supplant Anne in Henry's affections, she is jealous of the influence Jane gains and afraid at the realization that she could be replaced as easily as Catherine, not because she's so intent on keeping the love of her husband. When she realizes that her husband has abandoned her, she is frightened because she's aware that she has few friends left at court.
However, she is able to overcome her fear and jealousy and respond with bravery when she is arrested and put on trial for adultery and incest that she didn't commit. She uses her last days to try to make amends with Princess Mary, Catherine of Aragon's daughter, showing regret for the way Anne treated Mary's mother. Anne often finds herself facing her fate of death by execution with more courage than the women assigned to attend her. Death itself doesn't frighten her. In fact, she finds herself looking forward to it, especially after her friends and brother are executed for their supposed role in Anne's adultery. She knows that she didn't do what she was accused of and hopes to be judged fairly in the afterlife.
Inventory: All she will have is a white cap on her head to cover her hair and the crimson kirtle she died in.
Abilities: Anne is a savvy politician, though often undone by her moods and temper. She's skilled at dancing, languages, poetry, and songs. She has been hunting with a bow and arrow before.
Flaws: Anne is jealous, often petty, and she has a temper. She's not satisfied with merely defeating an enemy, she wants to destroy them completely. She's manipulative and impulsive. She's willing to use Henry VIII's feelings for her as a means of gaining power for herself.
Character Name: Anne Boleyn
Character Age: 35
Canon: Six Tudor Queens
Canon Point: after her execution
History: here It should also be mentioned that while in the court of Margaret of Austria, she read the works of Christine Pizan, an early feminist writer who argued that women could rule as well as men could. This writing leads to a lot of her behavior while queen. She also became acquainted with Leonardo daVinci in the court of Francoise of France and he also left a strong impression on her. However, while in Francoise's court, her sister Mary was raped by Francoise. This left Anne with a strong hatred of rape and those who commit it, though she's forced into conflicted feelings when her brother, George, confesses to rape.
Personality: Anne is a very complex woman, capable vindictive rage for her enemies but who shows grace in her final few days.
With her initial enemy, Cardinal Wolsey, she starts a campaign of undermining Henry's trust and faith in Wolsey by pointing out his every error and employing spies in his household to report back on what he did or didn't do to secure what Anne wanted. He had been in charge of obtaining an annulment of Henry's first marriage so that he could marry Anne. Anne feels that he does not have Henry's best interests at heart. She works to turn several of Henry's most influential friends against Wolsey and isn't satisfied until he is publicly disgraced and then dies. After Wolsey's death, Anne proposes a masque depicting the descent of Cardinal Wolsey into Hell.
Anne's antipathy towards Wolsey predates her involvement with Henry. When Anne was younger, she entered into a precontracted engagement with Henry Percy who worked in Wolsey's household and far outmatched Anne in rank. Wolsey forced Henry Percy into breaking the engagement and when Anne went to Wolsey's household to confront him in the matter, he enraged her by referring to her in public as a foolish girl and refused to listen to her argument that the engagement was legal and valid.
Her other enemy, Catherine of Aragon, Anne once served as a lady in waiting. It was there that she caught the attentions of Henry VIII. Anne initially was unimpressed by Henry, finding him not very handsome and boorish as he'd been known to take mistresses, including Anne's own sister, Mary. However, Anne saw in Henry a path to power, to put into action her belief that a woman could rule as well as a man. She found the idea of the crown far more appealing than any love for Henry.
In fact, Anne was never in love with Henry at all. She was in love with the idea of being queen and was physically and emotionally attracted to Henry Norris, one of Henry VIII's courtiers. She found sex with Henry VIII physically and emotionally unsatisfying and when she tried to spice up their love life, Henry objected. This irritated Anne, but she continued to let Henry have his way in the bedroom despite her lack of passion because she knew that her power was contingent of Henry getting a son on her.
Despite her lack of love for Henry VIII as a man, she goes out of her way to treat Catherine of Aragon with disrespect. Initially, Anne felt genuine sympathy for Catherine as Anne was trying to replace her as Henry's wife and knew that the proceedings to make it happen would be humiliating for the dignified Catherine. However, as Catherine continues insisting that she alone is Henry VIII's true wife, Anne's sympathy turns into petty rage.
Anne starts making greater and greater demands of Henry for the things and rights which belonged to Catherine. Anne can't deny to herself that she's doing the things she's doing (such as taking Catherine's river barge and the crown jewels away) out of anger and injured pride. Anne bedecks herself in the latest fashions as a contrast to Catherine and arranges for a witty and sophisticated court to attend her because it suits her tastes to be surrounded by poets, musicians, and great wits.
Anne is keenly aware of how she's perceived by others. She's embarrassed by her status of the scandal of Christendom because she stays chaste until just before her wedding to Henry VIII. She knows that the common folk hate her, but she tries to respond with charitable works. Her house in London is attacked by a mob and she is terrified. She knows exactly which courtiers like her and which ones do not and provides favorable treatment to those who like her.
In her treatment of her daughter, Anne is fickle. She finds herself unable to love the child as Elizabeth is not the son she promised Henry VIII she could provide. She takes a very hand-off approach to mothering, visiting her daughter rarely and buying her extravagant clothes and jewelry as a way of making up for the lack of maternal warmth Anne feels. She feels guilty about not loving her daughter and is devastated at the loss of three sons to miscarriage or stillbirth.
However, it is in Anne's fall that we see her true self come to the surface.
When she realizes that Jane Seymour is attempting to supplant Anne in Henry's affections, she is jealous of the influence Jane gains and afraid at the realization that she could be replaced as easily as Catherine, not because she's so intent on keeping the love of her husband. When she realizes that her husband has abandoned her, she is frightened because she's aware that she has few friends left at court.
However, she is able to overcome her fear and jealousy and respond with bravery when she is arrested and put on trial for adultery and incest that she didn't commit. She uses her last days to try to make amends with Princess Mary, Catherine of Aragon's daughter, showing regret for the way Anne treated Mary's mother. Anne often finds herself facing her fate of death by execution with more courage than the women assigned to attend her. Death itself doesn't frighten her. In fact, she finds herself looking forward to it, especially after her friends and brother are executed for their supposed role in Anne's adultery. She knows that she didn't do what she was accused of and hopes to be judged fairly in the afterlife.
Inventory: All she will have is a white cap on her head to cover her hair and the crimson kirtle she died in.
Abilities: Anne is a savvy politician, though often undone by her moods and temper. She's skilled at dancing, languages, poetry, and songs. She has been hunting with a bow and arrow before.
Flaws: Anne is jealous, often petty, and she has a temper. She's not satisfied with merely defeating an enemy, she wants to destroy them completely. She's manipulative and impulsive. She's willing to use Henry VIII's feelings for her as a means of gaining power for herself.
