Assignment III: Henry VIII

Below you will find several homework options to choose from. The first 30 points will count as homework and anything over that, up to a total of 60 points, will count as extra credit (but I can't give you credit for more than 60 points total).

Please send your homework to hol.thetudors@gmail.com

The subject line should be "HW 3 - The Tudors"

Don't forget to put your HOL name and House at the top of your email.

This assignment is due no later than November 30th, 11:59 pm HOL time.

Multiple Choice (2 points each):

1. How long were Henry and Katherine of Aragon married?

A. 2 years

B. 24 years

C. Five months

D. 15 years

2. What pastime did Henry enjoy?

A. Jousting

B. Hunting

C. Music

D. All of the above

3. Which French king did Henry meet on the Field of the Cloth of Gold?

A. Francis I

B. Henri I

C. Francis IV

D. Louis XI

4. Henry asked to be buried next to which one of his wives?

A. Anne Boleyn

B. Katherine of Aragon

C. Catherine Parr

D. Jane Seymour

5. What did people call Henry's quest to divorce Katherine of Aragon?

A. The King's Weighty Question

B. The King's Great Matter

C. The King's Thorny Problem

D. The King's Big Deal

True or False (2 points each):

If the statement is false, please correct it.

1. Like his father, Henry VIII was very careful and frugal with his spending.

2. There was a great deal of rivalry between Henry and the French king, who were close in age.

3. In his youth, Henry was very approachable and easy to talk to.

4. In later years, his health was bad and he may have suffered from diabetes.

5. Henry married six times mainly because he could.

Short Answer (2 points each):

Answer these in one or two complete sentences.

1. How did Henry succeed in discarding Katherine and marrying Anne Boleyn?

2. What was the Field of the Cloth of Gold?

3. How did Henry's personality change in later life?

4. Why did Henry confess to a priest every day?

5. What evidence of his great love for Anne Boleyn did Henry give?

Research (30 points each):

1. There's a theory that Henry VIII may have had an inherited condition called McLeod Syndrome, which would explain both why he had difficulty fathering children and his personality changes in later life. Research this syndrome and the Kell blood group that is associated with it. What is the evidence for and against this theory? Do you think it's correct, or was there some other reason (or reasons) for the king's troubles? Minimum 250 words, and please cite your sources. Do not copy-paste!

2. Research one of Henry VIII's favorite pastimes from the list below. You then have two options (one or the other, please, not both):

Write an essay about this pastime. Be sure to cover things like the history of it, how popular it was, and a brief summary of the rules. Does it still exist in some form today? Minimum 250 words, and please cite your sources.

Jousting

Real Tennis (also called Royal Tennis)

Wrestling

Dressage (a competitive equestrian sport)

Bowls (a lawn game similar to bocce)

Music (Henry played the lute, harpsichord, fife, harp, and viola)

Tables (an early form of backgammon)

Cards

Courtly Dancing

3. The Field of the Cloth of Gold was represented as a triumph of diplomacy, marking the beginning of a "perpetual peace" between France and England. Write an essay on this event. What exactly did it involve? Did it truly accomplish anything or was it only a chance for both sides to show off? Minimum 250 words, and please cite your sources.

Creative (30 points): Music was very popular at court, especially during the reign of Henry VIII. The king himself was very talented, and one of his best known songs was "Pasttime with good company" (if you haven't heard it, you can find several versions on Youtube). Write a song for Henry's court! Make it at least 10 lines for full credit.

Art (30 points)

Feeling artistic? Draw or create a picture of of one of the pastimes listed above, upload the image to a hosting site such as imgur, and send me the link. I don't expect 100% accuracy, but I do want to see some details for full points. Of course armor was worn for jousting, but a few other activities on this list also usually had special clothing, so don't forget to research that.