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So there's a series on television at the moment called "wolf Hall" about the court of king Henry VIII. Apparently it's amazing, as is the book its based on.
I'll probably not be watching it, as it's about the billionth portrayal of that era to grace our screens that I'm aware of.
One of the reasons that this period is so popular is because its such common knowledge. EVERYONE gets taught Henry VIII in school at a young age, its often the first thing that you cover (that or Hastings, it seems). Therefore, very safe to make a TV drama about without alienating a lot of people.
I have a sneaking suspicion that the reason we place so much emphasis on Henry VIII in history lessons is not actually because he was the most important king who ever lived, but because that period of history is comparably straightforward and therefore easy to teach.
Its more or less just Henry Vs. the Catholic church, there's not a whole lot of international politics, Henry's motivations are pretty easy to understand and relatable to a modern audience, as are Thomas More's. Plus there's just a touch of blood and guts to keep the kids interested and most of the sites involved have actually been preserved and can be used for field trips etc.
I get the feeling that the preponderance of Tudors in the timetables is more due to laziness by teachers than significance by Henry.
I'd be interested in hearing the views of history buffs on this.
NOTE: I'm not saying he wasn't an incredibly important king, but bear in mind that he takes precedence over (to name but a few things) the civil war, the wars of the roses, the signing of the Magna Carta and the industrial revolution in most syllabuses, as well as both world wars.
Personally, I'd really love a good series based on the wars of the roses.
I'll probably not be watching it, as it's about the billionth portrayal of that era to grace our screens that I'm aware of.
One of the reasons that this period is so popular is because its such common knowledge. EVERYONE gets taught Henry VIII in school at a young age, its often the first thing that you cover (that or Hastings, it seems). Therefore, very safe to make a TV drama about without alienating a lot of people.
I have a sneaking suspicion that the reason we place so much emphasis on Henry VIII in history lessons is not actually because he was the most important king who ever lived, but because that period of history is comparably straightforward and therefore easy to teach.
Its more or less just Henry Vs. the Catholic church, there's not a whole lot of international politics, Henry's motivations are pretty easy to understand and relatable to a modern audience, as are Thomas More's. Plus there's just a touch of blood and guts to keep the kids interested and most of the sites involved have actually been preserved and can be used for field trips etc.
I get the feeling that the preponderance of Tudors in the timetables is more due to laziness by teachers than significance by Henry.
I'd be interested in hearing the views of history buffs on this.
NOTE: I'm not saying he wasn't an incredibly important king, but bear in mind that he takes precedence over (to name but a few things) the civil war, the wars of the roses, the signing of the Magna Carta and the industrial revolution in most syllabuses, as well as both world wars.
Personally, I'd really love a good series based on the wars of the roses.
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#2
I'd agree with you somewhat in that the Tudor's do get way more T.V. time than other periods (seems it anyway), but Henry VIII's reign is not simple at all, and there were plenty of things going on abroad (The HRE's control over the Papacy was one of the reasons for why Henry's annulment to Catherine of Aragon was refused). You can make any piece of history seem straightforward if you make it simple enough, but teaching school kids the complex details behind the Reformation is probably going to turn them all off of history.
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#4
(Original post by autophobe2e)
So there's a series on television at the moment called "wolf Hall" about the court of king Henry VIII. Apparently it's amazing, as is the book its based on.
I'll probably not be watching it, as it's about the billionth portrayal of that era to grace our screens that I'm aware of.
One of the reasons that this period is so popular is because its such common knowledge. EVERYONE gets taught Henry VIII in school at a young age, its often the first thing that you cover (that or Hastings, it seems). Therefore, very safe to make a TV drama about without alienating a lot of people.
I have a sneaking suspicion that the reason we place so much emphasis on Henry VIII in history lessons is not actually because he was the most important king who ever lived, but because that period of history is comparably straightforward and therefore easy to teach.
Its more or less just Henry Vs. the Catholic church, there's not a whole lot of international politics, Henry's motivations are pretty easy to understand and relatable to a modern audience, as are Thomas More's. Plus there's just a touch of blood and guts to keep the kids interested and most of the sites involved have actually been preserved and can be used for field trips etc.
I get the feeling that the preponderance of Tudors in the timetables is more due to laziness by teachers than significance by Henry.
I'd be interested in hearing the views of history buffs on this.
NOTE: I'm not saying he wasn't an incredibly important king, but bear in mind that he takes precedence over (to name but a few things) the civil war, the wars of the roses, the signing of the Magna Carta and the industrial revolution in most syllabuses, as well as both world wars.
Personally, I'd really love a good series based on the wars of the roses.
So there's a series on television at the moment called "wolf Hall" about the court of king Henry VIII. Apparently it's amazing, as is the book its based on.
I'll probably not be watching it, as it's about the billionth portrayal of that era to grace our screens that I'm aware of.
One of the reasons that this period is so popular is because its such common knowledge. EVERYONE gets taught Henry VIII in school at a young age, its often the first thing that you cover (that or Hastings, it seems). Therefore, very safe to make a TV drama about without alienating a lot of people.
I have a sneaking suspicion that the reason we place so much emphasis on Henry VIII in history lessons is not actually because he was the most important king who ever lived, but because that period of history is comparably straightforward and therefore easy to teach.
Its more or less just Henry Vs. the Catholic church, there's not a whole lot of international politics, Henry's motivations are pretty easy to understand and relatable to a modern audience, as are Thomas More's. Plus there's just a touch of blood and guts to keep the kids interested and most of the sites involved have actually been preserved and can be used for field trips etc.
I get the feeling that the preponderance of Tudors in the timetables is more due to laziness by teachers than significance by Henry.
I'd be interested in hearing the views of history buffs on this.
NOTE: I'm not saying he wasn't an incredibly important king, but bear in mind that he takes precedence over (to name but a few things) the civil war, the wars of the roses, the signing of the Magna Carta and the industrial revolution in most syllabuses, as well as both world wars.
Personally, I'd really love a good series based on the wars of the roses.
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#5
Some of the most significant aspects of English, and indeed British, history occurred during the Tudor period: the foundations of the Empire, the Reformation, the Spanish Armada, etc.
Yes, the media focuses on Henry VIII's personal life a bit too much, but that's because people in general are more interested in scandalous personal lives than significant events in history. However, you have to remember that his personal life was tied to the events of that age, particularly the Reformation as a result of him wanting to divorce Catherine of Aragon.
The Tudors were certainly more remarkable than the Hanoverians.
Yes, the media focuses on Henry VIII's personal life a bit too much, but that's because people in general are more interested in scandalous personal lives than significant events in history. However, you have to remember that his personal life was tied to the events of that age, particularly the Reformation as a result of him wanting to divorce Catherine of Aragon.
The Tudors were certainly more remarkable than the Hanoverians.
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