Wolsey rise to power, luck or skill?
History – Florentina Cunningham 22.10.2013
How far was Wolsey’s rise to power a result of luck rather than skill?
All three sources only partly agree that Woley’s rise to power was a result of luck. Source C seems to suggest that the rise of power was due to luck, within the source it tells us that one of Wolsey’s main critics, Surrey, was too old to argue against him and his son too young to do so also. Warham has retired and therefore a position of power has opened up because of this Wolsey can now manoeuver his friends into other positions of power to help him, therefore this would suggest that Wolsey at this time had a lot of fortune on his side. Although within all these sources, luck may not remain the main theme it reoccurs throughout each, whether small or large. Source D reflects that’s Wolsey had a fortunate place with the King as Henry was easily bribed with gifts ‘beautifully fashioned dish, a jewel, or gifts of that sort’. Wolsey’s had his very own biographer which was his first servant and hence this creates a bias account as the information Cavendish will be collecting will be from Wolsey and this could be twisted into unreliable information, although most points also have element of Wolsey’s skilfulness it could be argued that King Henry simply favoured Wolsey, or that it was Wolsey’s personality rather than his skill that made the king acceptant of him.
All sources seem to suggest that the luck element of Wolsey’s influence came from other people not being there, for example Archbishop Wilson and Bishop Fox resigned from there post, also the King himself being so susceptible to Wolsey’s flattery. Although source C seems to be emphasising luck it’s important to gather G.R Elton’s background upon this opinion. Elton is a traditionalist historian with his views of Wolsey held from the 1970’s and has a corrupt opinion of Wolsey too, as knowledge was not fully developed upon him yet, this could infer that Elton may have a slight influenced opinion
How far was Wolsey’s rise to power a result of luck rather than skill?
All three sources only partly agree that Woley’s rise to power was a result of luck. Source C seems to suggest that the rise of power was due to luck, within the source it tells us that one of Wolsey’s main critics, Surrey, was too old to argue against him and his son too young to do so also. Warham has retired and therefore a position of power has opened up because of this Wolsey can now manoeuver his friends into other positions of power to help him, therefore this would suggest that Wolsey at this time had a lot of fortune on his side. Although within all these sources, luck may not remain the main theme it reoccurs throughout each, whether small or large. Source D reflects that’s Wolsey had a fortunate place with the King as Henry was easily bribed with gifts ‘beautifully fashioned dish, a jewel, or gifts of that sort’. Wolsey’s had his very own biographer which was his first servant and hence this creates a bias account as the information Cavendish will be collecting will be from Wolsey and this could be twisted into unreliable information, although most points also have element of Wolsey’s skilfulness it could be argued that King Henry simply favoured Wolsey, or that it was Wolsey’s personality rather than his skill that made the king acceptant of him.
All sources seem to suggest that the luck element of Wolsey’s influence came from other people not being there, for example Archbishop Wilson and Bishop Fox resigned from there post, also the King himself being so susceptible to Wolsey’s flattery. Although source C seems to be emphasising luck it’s important to gather G.R Elton’s background upon this opinion. Elton is a traditionalist historian with his views of Wolsey held from the 1970’s and has a corrupt opinion of Wolsey too, as knowledge was not fully developed upon him yet, this could infer that Elton may have a slight influenced opinion