MovieChat Forums > The Tudors (2007) Discussion > Suicide? Really? That's completely ridi...

Suicide? Really? That's completely ridiculous! [Spoiler alert!]


The focus of the entire first season was on Cardinal Wolsey, at least that's the way it seemed to me. And in the climax, they have Wolsey killing himself (that's the spoiler, in case you are wondering) with a knife. However, I haven't seen any mention of a suicide in real history. History says he died of natural causes. So they completely change history for the most important event that the first season covers.

Now that's ridiculous! Changing history about Margaret/Mary pales compared to this (since his sister was a very minor character in the show).

Perhaps there's some thought that the cardinal killed himself and it was covered up by the powers that be?

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If you are looking for historical accuracy, you are watching the wrong show.

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Henry says to Cromwell "No one must know." I love spoilers for events (or non-events) that took place 500 years ago. It becomes a spoiler when it strays or outright changes accepted history. I seem to remember grumblings about the portrayal of Wolsey's death when the episode first aired.

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No, it is not a credible historical theory or based on speculation.

Michael Hurst invented it -- like he did a lot else on this show.

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Thank you for your input, Katherine. I have been watching the 2nd season and I so far the stories of More and Fisher aren't as riveting as Wolsey's was. I would think they should be more riveting stories, but they aren't. Maybe because More and Fisher knew what they signed up for while things just seemed to get away from Wolsey.

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You know how film-makers are. A life due to illness or dying of natural causes is boooriiing. It must have killed Hirst to have Katherine of Aragon die in her bed. I think it was well done, however I'm sure he contemplated many other theatrical endings for her but, with such a central beloved historical character, he had to do right by her. I feel Wolsey was enough of a background character to mess with history a bit and make his death more meaningful and dramatic.

Hope you're loving the show! Season 2 is AWESOME!

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Thank you for your input, Katherine. I have been watching the 2nd season and I so far the stories of More and Fisher aren't as riveting as Wolsey's was. I would think they should be more riveting stories, but they aren't. Maybe because More and Fisher knew what they signed up for while things just seemed to get away from Wolsey.


To each their own. Fisher's story always... gets to me. I usually cry over his final scene -- it's such a touching performance. And minus some quibbles (Thomas More never observed people being burned at the stake), I thought they did a nice job with Thomas More.

You know how film-makers are. A life due to illness or dying of natural causes is boooriiing. It must have killed Hirst to have Katherine of Aragon die in her bed. I think it was well done, however I'm sure he contemplated many other theatrical endings for her but, with such a central beloved historical character, he had to do right by her. I feel Wolsey was enough of a background character to mess with history a bit and make his death more meaningful and dramatic.


Well, he did invent that super sad scene of her hallucinating Mary. :P

I feel like Maria Doyle Kennedy's pregnancy undercut Katharine. I HOPE there would have been more scenes with her otherwise, because there is a lot to work with there that would really have shown the strength of her resistance -- including the time Charles Brandon tried to force her to move to a different castle, and she locked herself up in her room and told him he'd have to drag her out. The people loved her so much they surrounded the place, and Brandon "did not dare remove her person" and slunk off back to Henry.

One thing that greatly puzzles me is -- where is Anne's trial? I was SHOCKED they left that out. So much dramatic potential, sacrificed instead for invented plot lines such as the stupid romance between Thomas Wyatt and Katharine's maid. Tsk, tsk.

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They didn't really change history since Henry said to cover it up. It's not the worst historical change and it makes sense in the narrative.

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Consider the daffodil. And while you're doing that I'll be over here looking through your stuff.

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