This module will examine religion, politics and the culture of Renaissance monarchy during the reign of Henry VIII (1509-1547). It will examine the significance of the Henrician Reformation: the transformation of the Tudor monarchy which resulted from Henry VIII's break with Rome, and the extent to which religious change before 1547 affected the lives of subjects in the Tudor realms. Politics at the Henrician court will be studied, as will the culture of courtly magnificence, and the role of art and literature in politics. The course will also address the nature of Tudor humanism, and its relationship to religion and politics. The module will investigate the reign as a period of transition from the late medieval into the early modern state, and examine the strengths and weaknesses of the political system through a study of the contrasting experiences of the Henrician regime in Wales and Ireland.'