Wolseys Responsibility For His Own Downfall Essay -- Papers Thomas Wo

Wolsey's Responsibility For His Own Downfall Thomas Wolsey can be easily viewed as being responsible for his own downfall. John Guy believes that Wolsey was â€Å"brilliant but flawed.† His rise was based on luck, charm, intelligence and opportunism. Wolsey had such high ambitions and gave Henry the idea he was capable of getting him anything, so when Wolsey failed to get Henry a divorce, it was seen as the final nail on the coffin to his downfall. His policies are also a cause to his downfall; Wolsey’s foreign policy was a success but also caused problems. On Wolsey’s rise he created enemies, which lead to the lack of support and opposition in his years as Chancellor. But it can also be viewed, on the other hand, that Wolsey wasn’t entirely responsible for his downfall. His downfall can be laid upon Henry VIII; his court known as the ‘lions court’. David Starkey believes the ‘Boleyn Faction’ was a cause to Henry’s downfall; Anne disliked Wolsey and wanted him removed. Wolsey having bad press from the start, nobility were jealous of his power and wealth. One can see that Wolsey was a successful and just administrator who succeed in his aims making England a leading power. His rise was due to luck, charm and his intelligence, but his fall was due to some of his fatal characteristics and bad luck. But we can clearly see Wolsey alone wasn’t entirely responsible for his downfall; there were many other factors, which Wolsey couldn’t have helped that increased his downfall. Wolsey had some responsibility to his own downfall. His rise to power was due to luck, charm, intelligence and opportunism. The reasons for Wolsey’s fall can be spl... ...land which England was too narrow a field for his vast ambition. He aspired to be the arbiter of Europe. He threw England’s influence on the side of the Holy Roman emperor, Charles V, in the latter’s rivalry with Francis I of France. He expected thereby to enlist the emperor’s aid for his own aspirations to become pope. Wolsey maintained the kings favour until he failed to secure an annulment of Henry’s first marriage. From1527-1529, as Anne Boleyn’s influence rose, Wolsey waned. She disliked the cardinal because of his interference in her earlier engagement to Henry Percy. And both she and King were increasingly impatient with the pope’s endless prevarication. Torn between his secular and spiritual masters, Wolsey chose Henry’s side-but it was too late. He was indicated for praemunire; and later confessed guilt.