The Prince and the Pauper · Chapter
VIII: The Question of the Seal explained
King Henry VIII awakens from troubled dreams, aware of his failing health and eager to sign the warrant for the Duke of Norfolk's execution.
What happens
King Henry VIII awakens from troubled dreams, aware of his failing health and eager to sign the warrant for the Duke of Norfolk's execution. He discovers the Great Seal is missing, having been given to the Prince of Wales (Tom Canty), who cannot recall where it is due to his affliction. The king, in a fit of rage, orders the Lord Chancellor to use the smaller seal and proceed with Norfolk's beheading.
Themes in this chapter
Power and Corruption
Henry VIII's obsession with executing Norfolk before his own death illustrates the corrupting influence of absolute power and the king's willingness to use state machinery for personal vengeance.
Justice and Injustice
The swift condemnation of the Duke of Norfolk without due process highlights the arbitrary and unjust nature of Tudor justice.
Mercy and Redemption
Despite his own failing health, Henry VIII shows no mercy toward Norfolk, contrasting with the compassion he briefly expresses for the afflicted prince.
Characters to notice
- Henry VIII
Awakens from troubled dreams, aware of his impending death, and is determined to see the Duke of Norfolk executed before he dies.
- Tom Canty
The Prince of Wales, who received the Great Seal but cannot recall where he put it due to his affliction.
- Lord Hertford
Kneels to inform the king that the Great Seal was given to the Prince of Wales, and later returns empty-handed after failing to retrieve it.
- Duke of Norfolk
The condemned premier peer of England, whose execution is ordered by the king.
- Lord St. John
Mentioned as one of the attendants present during the king's awakening.
Key passages
“Troublous dreams, troublous dreams! Mine end is now at hand: so say these warnings, and my failing pulses do confirm it.”
Henry VIII wakes from a restless nap, feeling that his death is near, as his dreams and weakening body warn him.
The king acknowledges his mortality and the ominous signs of his declining health.
“Yet will not I die till he go before.”
He is determined not to die until the Duke of Norfolk is executed first.
Henry's vengeful resolve to see Norfolk dead before his own end.
“I put my Great Seal in commission: choose thou the lords that shall compose it, and get ye to your work. Speed ye, man! Before the sun shall rise and set again, bring me his head that I may see it.”
The king orders the Lord Chancellor to form a commission to use the Great Seal, demanding Norfolk's head within a day.
Henry's urgent and ruthless command to expedite Norfolk's execution.