69 pages • 2 hours read
Hilary MantelWolf Hall
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2009A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Merit and Caste
Tensions arise in Wolf Hall between meritocracy and the caste system. Royalty and peerage could only be passed down through bloodline. One could be knighted, such as Sir Thomas Boleyn or Sir Thomas More, but low breeding could never be truly overcome. The Renaissance was the first time that a true middle class began to grow in Britain. Money no longer solely concentrated at the top of the social strata. Merchants, lawyers, and the like—self-made men—began to amass wealth. Such is the case of Thomas Cromwell, a man who made good on his own talents. However, a sharp mind, good education, and talent for making money could only go so far at this time.
In Thomas’ England, “To be trusted new men must forge themselves an ancient pedigree, like Walter’s or enter into the service of ancient families” (109). One way of doing so is working for the church, as in the case of Cardinal Wolsey. The son of a butcher, Wolsey comes from a humble background just like Thomas.
Thomas and Wolsey are constantly reminded of their origins. Wolsey advises Thomas that, when dealing with nobility, “You can never advance your own pedigree—and God knows, Tom, you were born in a more dishonorable estate than me—so the trick is to keep them scraped up to their own standards” (64-65). Though nobles have more privilege than commoners, they are also constrained by tradition and the high standards they set for themselves. Thomas takes this lesson to heart, and he uses it to navigate the complex web of alliances and rivalries in the court.
Ironically, King Henry VIII seems to be one of the only members of the court that does not consistently bring up Thomas’ background. On the contrary, he seems to trust Thomas more for it. When he appoints Thomas the Keeper of the Jewel House, Henry shouts, “‘Why should I not, tell me why should I not, employ the son of an honest blacksmith?’” (332). Unlike the king, the other courtiers feel threatened by Thomas’ presence. That a commoner could succeed in the court destabilizes the very notion of nobility. Norfolk sums it up best when, frustrated with Thomas’ succinct arguments, exclaims, “‘Damn it all, Cromwell, why are you such a … person? It isn’t as if you could afford to be’” (151). Norfolk evidently links personhood with nobility and wealth. That Thomas can form his own, well-informed opinions and arguments is frustrating to the old duke.
Man Is Wolf to Man
When Thomas recalls of the time Norfolk threatened to attack Wolsey and actually bite him, “The saying comes to him, homo homini lupus, man is wolf to man” (531). “Man is wolf to man” is akin to the phrase “dog-eat-dog,” and similar to Cromwell’s attitude of “make or mar.” Life as a courtier is cutthroat, and only the most savvy survive. George Cavendish, Wolsey’s cook, hits upon this subject while complaining of the greed and violence of the court: “One dog sated with meat is replaced by a hungrier dog who bites nearer the bone” (50). This suggests that the cycle of wolfish violence is ultimately unsustainable.
The king cycles through a number of councilors in this cutthroat fashion. Thomas himself benefits from Cardinal Wolsey’s fall by obtaining More’s position as Lord Chancellor. Thomas Audley benefits in the same way, and even takes part in trying More for treason. Thomas’ skillful political maneuvering steadily degrades his rival Stephen Gardiner’s favor with the king. This culminates in Stephen being sent away to France and Thomas inheriting his role as Master of the Scrolls. This cycle of many individuals vying to climb the political ladder is akin to man hunting man, cut-throat and wolfish.
It is not only the courtiers that exhibit this behavior. When Christophe asks Thomas if there are wolves in the kingdom, Thomas answers, “That howling you hear is only the Londoners” (463). While mankind has a great capacity to be good, it also has the capacity to harm others and act out of ambition and selfishness. Referring to London’s populace as wolves hearkens back to the fickle nature of public opinion. Thomas is likely thinking of Cardinal Wolsey when he says this to Christophe. Though Wolsey did much to advance the prosperity of England, the populace turned on him—like a pack of wolves—the moment his fortunes started to shift. This attitude is also expressed in the populace’s voracious appetite for public executions.
The Courtier
A courtier is one who frequents a royal court as an attendant or councilor to a monarch. Life as a courtier in Henry’s court was fraught with peril; one’s safety depended largely on Henry’s fickle moods. To succeed as Thomas does, one had to exhibit a great deal of finesse and politic.
On the barge taking the king’s company to Calais, Henry Fitzroy tells Thomas, “I am glad you prosper. Because it is said in the book called The Courtier that in men of base degree we often see high gifts of nature” (369). Though not translated into English until the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Castiglione’s The Book of the Courtier was a highly influential and instructive text. It was likely imported from Italy by people such as Thomas Wyatt, who spent time there. The Book of the Courtier depicts a series of conversations in which members of Duke Urbino’s court discuss the qualities of an ideal courtier. These qualities include intellect, humor, proper bearing, physical prowess, ideal love, and more.
Thomas exhibits many of Castiglione’s ideals. He always maintains a cool bearing, rarely losing his calm (outwardly at least). He is diplomatic, and almost never resorts to violence—though if pressed, he could hold his own in a fight due to his physical strength. He also respects women. Thinking of the union between Henry Fitzroy and Mary Shelton, Thomas thinks “Castiglione says that everything that can be understood by men can be understood by women, that their apprehension is the same, their faculties, no doubt their loves and hates” (370). This is perhaps why Thomas spends so much time with the women in the court: Anne Boleyn, Mary Carey, Jane Rochford, Jane Seymour. He recognizes their importance to courtly life and therefore does not neglect to treat them well and figures them into his political calculations.
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By Hilary Mantel
