3.

Tudor Age: The English Reformation

(seminar worksheet 2004/2005)

TASK 1: LISTENING, Group A (15 minutes)

In group listen to recording 1 (the topic being Henry wants rid of Catherine of Aragon-The fall
of Wolsey). As you listen take notes to answer the following questions in order to be able to
recount orally the main points of the recording for the next task.

Vocabulary: overt signs, someone’s slide, a papal legate, a bull of dispensation, to

consummate a marriage,

1. How did the attitude of Henry VIII. towards his minister Wolsey change after the king had
decided to divorce Catharine of Aragon?
2. Who was Catherine of Aragon’s first husband?
3. On what grounds did Henry argue that it was legal for him to marry Catherine of Aragon?
4. What were the attitudes of the outside world to Henry’s decision to divorce Catherine of
Aragon?
5. What action did Henry seek to take to make sure his intention to divorce Catherine was given a
semblance of legality?
6. What happened to Wolsey and who replaced him in his position?
7. What legislation was passed in 1531 to comply with Henry’s wish to consolidate his control
over the English Church?
8. What happened to Catherine and her daughter Mary?

TASK 1: LISTENING, Group B (15 minutes)

In group listen to recording 2 (this is made up of two topics: 1. The European Renaissance:
Erasmus and Sir Thomas More and 2. Henry is made Head of the Church-Marries Anne
Boleyn). As you listen take notes to answer the following questions in order to be able to recount
orally the main points of the recording for the next task.

Vocabulary: the revival of arts and letters, biblical piety, the (Greek) New Testament, Novum
Instrumentum, superstitions, to be embraced by scholars, Utopia, a society of
pagans, to be tried for treason

a whirlwind of legislation, Acts of Appeal, Act of Supremacy, Treasons Act, Act

of Reformation, to be disembowelled, to behead sb., to replenish the treasury,

1. What subjects did Northern European humanists like Erasmus deal with in their works?
2. What is the title of Thomas More’s main work and what is it concerned with?
3. How was More’s career ended?
4. Through which specific laws did Henry VIII. secure complete control over the English Church?
(What did they provide for?)
5. Which two of Henry’s wives stood, historically speaking, at the centre of Henry’s politics during
the English Reformation?
6. What happened to Anne Boleyn?
7. Why did Thomas More and John Fisher, the Bishop of Rochester fell out favour with Hernry
VIII.? Whom they were replaced with?
8. What happened to Jane Seymour?
1
TASK 1: LISTENING, Group C (15 minutes)

In group listen to recording 3 (this is made up of two topics: 1. Thomas Cromwell and 2. Anne of
Cleves and the fall of Thomas Cromwell). As you listen take notes to answer the following
questions in order to be able to recount orally the main points of the recording for the next task.

Vocabulary: ruthless, Machiavellian, the Privy Council, the break up/dissolution of the
monasteries, patronage, conspicuous cold-blooded efficiency, country gentry, to
acquire estates, the displaced monks, to commit the landed and mercantiled
classes to the reformation settlement, to face one’s lot, relief, fortitude, to
become parish clergy,

matchmaking, to have someone’s head chopped off,

1. What government reforms did Thomas Cromwell carried out during his term office as king’s
prime minister?
2. What was Henry’s primary reason for the dissolution of the monasteries?
3. What relation did Henry VIII. want to establish between the crown on the one side and the
landed gentry and merchants on the other?
4. What was the fate of all the displaced monks?
5. What was the value of property gained by the crown through acquisitions, sale and lease of lands
previously held by the church?
6. In what way can it be said that Anne of Cleves was responsible for the death of Thomas
Cromwell? (How did Cromwell die?)
7. Who was Henry VIII. fifth’s wife?
8. For what reason did Henry have his fifth wife’s head chopped off?

TASK 2: SPEAKING (10 minutes), Reconstructing the events of English Reformation

(Class divided into groups of three, each group including a former member of A, B and C groups)
Listen to each other’s accounts of the topics you have just listened to. Put all the events into the
chronological order (You can use numbers to do this.)

To revise for your exam and learn more about the topics you can listen to the recordings on CD. These are available at
the local British Council Council office in Banská Bystrica as part of the BBC series This Sceptred Isle, volume 3, 1327-
1547, CD 3, tracks 12 The European Renaissance: Erasmus and Sir Thomas More, 13 Henry wants rid of Catherine of
Aragon: the fall of Wolsey, 14 Henry is made Head of the Church: marries Anne Boleyn, 16 Thomas Cromwell and 19
Anne of Cleves and the fall of Thomas Cromwell. You can also listen to the recordings on tape which is available in the
departmental library. If you are interested in the series and want to find out yet more, go to BBC Radio 4’s website,
history section http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/