In this excerpt from Henry VIII, Shakespeare uses allusion, figurative language, and tone to convey Cardinal Wolsey’s bitterness over being unjustifiably removed from his position at court, his regret for his own pride, and his condemnation of royalty’s abuse of the lower peoples. Wolsey’s speech begins with him saying “farewell to the little good you bear me” to his former friends and life, and this tone and ironic use of the word ‘farewell’ reflects his bitterness over being so unfairly removed from his station in life (1). He recounts the story of his rise and fall through a conceit comparing himself to a flower that buds hopefully and then “comes a frost, a killing frost,” referring to his downfall at the hands of King Henry. (8) Wolsey