If you want to do his soul good, why do you continually obstruct him? It hardly makes him a better man. Do you never think that, if you had bowed to the king's wishes years ago, if you had entered a convent and allowed him to remarry, he would never have broken with Rome? There would have been no need. Sufficient doubt was cast upon your marriage for you to retire with a good grace. You would have been honoured by all. But now the titles you cling to are empty. Henry was a good son of Rome. You drove him to this extremity. You, not he, split Christendom. And I expect that you know that, and that you think about it in the silence of the night.
The quote reflects on the consequences of obstinacy and the impact of personal decisions on larger events, specifically in the context of the relationship between Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII. It suggests that if Anne had complied with the king's desires earlier, he might not have broken away from the Catholic Church, highlighting her role in the schism of Christendom. The speaker challenges Anne, indicating that her refusal to accept a convent and let Henry remarry has only led to chaos and regret.
This critique underlines the weight of responsibility that individuals carry in their choices, especially when those choices affect historical and religious trajectories. The suggestion is that Anne's stubbornness not only affected her but also transformed the landscape of faith and governance in England. The unsettling notion is that her actions have led to irreversible changes, positioning her as a pivotal figure in a tragic narrative marked by ambition and ultimately, downfall.
