William Shakespeare
Henry VIII
The full script in Final Draft, Word & PDF
Henry VIII's court sees the fall of Buckingham and Wolsey, the divorce of Katharine, and the rise of Anne Boleyn and Cranmer.
PDFs Only
$4.99
- ✓ Stageplay PDF (112 pp.)
- ✓ Screenplay PDF (100 pp.)
- ✓ Instant download
Full Package
$12.99
- ✓ Final Draft (.fdx)
- ✓ Microsoft Word + RTF
- ✓ Screenplay + Stageplay PDFs
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- Genre
- History
- Written
- c. 1613
- Setting
- London and Westminster
- Scenes
- 17
- Speaking roles
- 46
- Uncut running time
- ~2h 55m
What happens in Henry VIII
The Duke of Buckingham is accused of treason through the schemes of Cardinal Wolsey and executed. King Henry, meanwhile, falls in love with Anne Boleyn and becomes uneasy about his marriage to Katharine of Aragon, who has borne him no son. A court at Blackfriars hears the case for annulment, and Katharine defends herself with dignity but is set aside.
Wolsey, caught after a letter shows his own ambition, falls from power and delivers a famous farewell. Thomas Cranmer rises as the king's favourite and survives a plot against him thanks to the king's protection. Anne is crowned and gives birth to Elizabeth. The play ends with Cranmer's prophecy of the glory of the future queen and her successor.
See the formatting
The first page of Act I, exactly as it appears in the files you download.
The biggest roles
Share of the play's spoken words, counted from the script. 46 characters speak; 20 of them have under 1% of the text — natural candidates for doubling.
| Role | Share of the text | Speeches |
|---|---|---|
| King Henry VIII | | 93 |
| Cardinal Wolsey | | 84 |
| Queen Katharine | | 34 |
| Buckingham | | 26 |
| Norfolk | | 48 |
| Chamberlain | | 41 |
| Cranmer | | 21 |
| Katharine | | 18 |
For directors
The play spreads its weight across several parts: Henry VIII has about 14 percent of the words, Wolsey 14, Katharine 9 and Buckingham 6. Five roles exceed 5 percent, and each of the major figures has a signature scene, so the cast demands strong character actors rather than a single star. There are 46 speaking roles, 20 under 1 percent, so doubling is easy. The uncut estimate is 175 minutes. The play is generally attributed in part to John Fletcher.
Cutting notes
- Cut or reduce the lengthy stage-directed processions and banquets, which take much space.
- Trim the courtiers' commentary scenes, where gentlemen describe offstage events to each other.
- Shorten the council-chamber scene in Act V where Cranmer is arraigned, keeping the king's intervention.
For teachers
Students examine the fall of the great, the Reformation backdrop, royal authority and the staging of pageantry. Frequently studied passages include Buckingham's farewell, Katharine's defence at Blackfriars, Wolsey's "Farewell" speech, and Cranmer's prophecy. The play is usually discussed as a late collaboration with John Fletcher, and as a history play more concerned with ceremony and sorrow than with battle.
Questions
Is this the complete, uncut text of Henry VIII?
Yes. Every file contains the full play — 17 scenes and about 23,500 spoken words. Cut it yourself in Word or Final Draft to fit your running time.
What is the difference between the stageplay and screenplay layouts?
The stageplay layout indents stage directions and sets dialogue full-width, like a theatre script. The screenplay layout follows film conventions: scene headings and action flush left, character names centred, dialogue in a narrower column. Both tiers include both layouts as PDFs; the Full Package adds editable Final Draft and Word files of each.
Can I use this Henry VIII script for a production or a class?
Yes. Shakespeare's plays are in the public domain, so there are no royalties to pay for staging them. Edit, stage, film or teach with these files.
How do I receive the files?
Right after checkout you land on a private download page, and the link is also emailed to you. It keeps working, so you can re-download any time.
