The Mirror and the Light

The Mirror and the Light Hilary: Hilary Mantel

Hilary Mantel always had a flair for historical fiction writing. Born in Derbyshire, England, in 1952, she would attend The University of Sheffield before writing her first novel, Every Day is Mother's Day, in 1985. Two of her earliest historical novels, Fludd (1989) and A Place of Greater Safety (1992), were positively received but failed to reach a wider audience.

With the release of Wolf Hall (2009), a historical fiction novel based told from the perspective of Henry VIII's trusted adviser, Mantel's fame skyrocketed. Along with two sequel books, Bring Up the Bodies (2012) and The Mirror and the Light (2020), Mantel's stunning recreation of Tudor history helped her achieve worldwide success. The three books, known collectively as the 'Thomas Cromwell trilogy' were received with universal acclaim.

Mantel labels her meticulous research and writing process as one of the primary reasons for the success of her work. She aimed to get as close to her source material as possible, using documents written by Imperial ambassador Eustace Chapuys (1489-1556) and the writings of Cromwell himself. She studied the period's history intently and ensured that the locations of all characters were historically accurate.

That said, Mantel acknowledged the necessity to fill historical gaps with her interpretation of events. Her work is by no means a purely factual history of Cromwell's life. Mantel has expertly chosen the novel's dialogue to reflect her view of historical events. Throughout the novel, she proves that she has both the knowledge base of a historian and the artistic flair of an incredible novelist.

While many novels have been written on the subject of Henry VIII (1491-1547) and his wives, few have ever looked at the story from a different perspective. Through her unique depiction of Thomas Cromwell, Mantel is commended with bringing a lesser-known historical figure into the public imagination.

Fig 1. Thomas Cromwell was an English lawyer and statesman. Between 1534 and 1540 he served as the chief adviser for King Henry VIII.

The first two books in the trilogy, Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies, won consecutive Booker prizes in the years that they were released. Her final novel, The Mirror and the Light, was also shortlisted for the prestigious award.

The Mirror and the Light was Mantel's final novel written in her lifetime. She died in 2022 from complications after having a stroke.

The Mirror and the Light: characters

Each character in The Mirror and the Light is based on an actual historical figure. While Mantel fills in necessary gaps with her own dialogue, the activities, actions and routines of every character were designed to closely mirror how the figures would have reacted to the world around them.

The Mirror and the Light: synopsis

The synopsis of The Mirror and the Light opens where Mantel's previous novel, Bring Up the Bodies (2012), left off. Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second wife, has been executed. King Henry is head of his own branch of Christianity, known as the Church of England. This puts him in direct opposition to Catholicism, making Henry an unpopular figure throughout Europe. Even more troubling is the King's lack of a male heir, which leaves the future of his lineage uncertain.

With the Tudor dynasty at risk, Henry VIII's temper is growing ever more severe. Public gossip circulates about who will be next to fall to the King's volatile nature. Even Cromwell, who has until now expertly navigated Henry's treacherous courts, is beginning to feel uneasy about the King's temperamental disposition. The King's new wife, Jane Seymour, is under enormous pressure to produce a male heir and bring stability to the country.

In an attempt to improve his position and strengthen his Kingdom, Henry enlists Cromwell to dissolve all of the abbeys and monasteries associated with the Catholic church. This serves two purposes: it will allow the king to acquire wealth and property while suppressing his political and religious opposition.

Fig 2. The remnants of Henry VIII's destruction are still visible today. This image depicts Glastonbury Abbey, which was dissolved and destroyed in 1539 following the execution of the abbot that resided there.

A rebellion forms and marches upon the Kingdom in protest of Henry's actions. The court is concerned that, should France or Scotland make an attack, the rebels will ally with them and pose a significant threat. While the King succeeds in squashing the rebellion, it comes at a substantial financial cost. Increasingly frustrated with the resistance against him, Henry becomes mercilessly violent when dealing with those that oppose him.

Working behind the scenes, Cromwell attempts to keep the peace. He encourages the King's daughter Mary to sign a bill supporting Henry VIII as the head of the official head of the Church of England. Previously, Mary has remained devoted to her Catholic mother, Katherine of Aragon. Now, Cromwell sees the danger behind Henry's volatility and encourages her to change sides before it is too late. Rumours circulate that Cromwell is trying to marry Mary himself so that he can revolt against the King and steal the throne.

All frustrations are cut short when Jane, who has been pregnant for some time, gives birth to Edward, Henry's first male heir. Unfortunately, the celebration comes to an end when Jane subsequently dies. It is once again time for Cromwell to find a suitable match for the King. Cromwell's options are limited because the King is almost entirely isolated from Europe.

Cromwell convinces King Henry to marry the German princess Anne of Cleves, arguing that it will ally England with Germany, who have also recently broken away from the Catholic church. Upon Anne's arrival, Henry is disgusted, decides he is disinterested and refuses to consummate the marriage. The marriage is a disaster, and Cromwell, having arranged the affair, takes the blame. His rivals take this as an opportunity and continue circulating unfounded rumours of Cromwell's treason. Cromwell is eventually arrested and imprisoned for treason. He is held for 48 days before being beheaded. Henry then marries his fifth wife, Katherine Howard.

The Mirror and the Light: context

Mantel's trilogy of books is based on the true story of Thomas Cromwell's life as King Henry VIII's chief adviser. The first two novels in the series, Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies, detail Cromwell's meteoric rise to power from a place of low birth to a position as the king's greatest ally. The Mirror and the Light tracks Thomas Cromwell's downfall, beginning from the execution of Anne Boleyn (1501-1536) in 1536, and ending with Cromwell's own execution in 1540.

While King Henry plays a crucial role in the novel, the narrative is told entirely from the perspective of Thomas Cromwell.

With the execution of Anne Boleyn, Henry was free to once again search for a suitable heir to the English throne. He had grown infatuated with Jane Seymour, a lady-in-waiting from Wolf Hall. The pair got married, and Jane gave birth to a son. King Henry finally had his male heir, but it came at a severe cost. Jane's subsequent death from complications brought any celebration to an abrupt halt.

When Henry's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves (1515-1557), arrived from Germany, Henry was reportedly shocked that Anne didn't resemble the portrait he had seen of her. He blamed Cromwell for proposing the arrangement. The relationship between the king and his adviser had begun to sour.

Fig 3. This painting, depicting Anne of Cleves, was painted by Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1497-1543). It is likely the image that Henry VIII saw when he decided to marry her. Upon Anne's arrival, Henry claimed that she didn't resemble her painting at all, and refused to consummate the marriage.

Cromwell's enemies took the chance and spread the rumour that the chief adviser was attempting to dethrone the King. Eventually, Cromwell was tried for treason and, with no allies to defend him, was executed at Tower Hill in 1540.

The Mirror and the Light: play

Following its enormous success, The Mirror and the Light was adapted into a Broadway stage play. It was produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company and ran for over a month between September and November of 2021. The production followed on from two previous plays, the award-winning Wolf Hall Parts One & Two, which were based on the previous novels in Mantel's trilogy.

Mantel was consulted heavily in the making of the play, and co-authored the script with producer and actor Ben Miles (1966-, who plays Thomas Cromwell in the play. To Mantel, writing theatre scripts for her plays felt like a natural next step to her career as a novelist. She acknowledged how much she enjoyed the process in an interview with The Guardian.

With Mantel at the helm of production, and many accomplished actors breathing life into the roles, it's no surprise that the trilogy of plays created based on her novels were global successes, receiving critical acclaim and several prestigious awards.