Does anyone wonder if Queen Anne Boleyn's execution and her family's downfall was her comeupence?

Question

I'm not a mean person but from reading Tudors books and watching films and hearing legends from my family, does anyone wonder if she got what she derserved as well as her family? What goes around, comes around?

Answer 1

Well, I've heard pretty much every story about the Tudors there is but there's almost no way to know for sure what really happened. That period of time was so long ago that it's near impossible to be able to prove anything about them. But it sure seems like she was a horrible person, doesn't it? She purposely "bewitched" Henry VIII and got him to leave Catherine of Aragon and the Catholic Church. She most definitely made a big impact on history...

Answer 2

Though Anne Boleyn's not my favorite figure in history, I think she was vilified.

She was not the only one responsible for Catherine of Aragon's fate, the separation from the Catholic church, etc, etc

She may not a sympathetic lady but I cannot judge her.

She played a major role in history and so did her family.

The consequences were dire but, I wouldn't say, she got what she deserved. Who knows what her true feelings and thoughts were?

And remember the information that we've got about her comes from whatever has survived through time. And many documents about her were written by her political enemies. The Tudor court was a dangerous place, wasn't it?

Still she makes a darn good "let's-hate-the-witch" character.

Answer 3

Anne Boleyn and her family played dangerous games with high stakes and they lost.  The desire for money and power is as old as time.......lots of losers and few if any winners.

Answer 4

Got what she deserved?  Having her head chopped off on false accusations of incest, treason and adultery - but really for failing to bear a son for her husband, who was panting to marry someone else and have another go at an heir?

As the other respondent said, she played a dangerous game for high stakes, and lost.   But she didn't deserve to die the way she did.

The Duke of Norfolk, Anne's uncle and a cold, ambitious man, also thrust his other niece, Catherine Howard, under the king's eye, and that ended in disaster, too.  If anyone deserved to have his head chopped off, it was he!  (He didn't; I think he just died of failing health.)

If you were in the king's favour, you and your family would benefit.  The opposite was also true.  The Seymours also had good fortune under Henry, but at least two came to sticky ends later.

Ultimately, the Boleyns were treated kindly by Anne's daughter, Elizabeth I.