Volume V Issue I January-March 2025

Name of Author : A.Vanaja, M. Kalaivani

Title of the paper : The Light of Ambition and the Shadows of Consequence in the Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel

Abstract:  The Mirror and the Light, the last novel in Hilary Mantels Wolf Hall trilogy, tells the narrative of Thomas Cromwells ascent and decline as King Henry VIIIs chief minister. The Mirror and the Light begins in 1536, following Anne Boleyns execution, and follows Cromwell as he establishes his authority, arranges royal marriages, and negotiates Tudor Englands unstable political landscape. Despite his political savvy and skill, Cromwells ambition and former foes ultimately bring him to ruin. The book examines issues of ambition, power, loyalty, and treachery, presenting Cromwell as a man tormented by his own history and a realistic survivor. Mantel transports readers to the perilous realm of the Tudor court, which culminates in Cromwells capture and execution, with an abundance of historical information and psychological nuance. An insightful reflection on the price of ambition and the brittleness of political power may be found in Mantels trilogys brilliant climax, The Mirror and the Light.

Keywords : Ambition, Power, Betrayal, Loyalty, Downfall, Identity, Consequence.

DOI :

Page Number : 40-41