April 11, 2008

Anne Boleyn: Victim or Vixen?

By SUSAN BORDO

The real Tudor queen was more complex than seen in contemporary portrayals

Last spring, encouraged by the success of HBO's Rome and trying to exploit the Sunday-evening vacuum soon to be left by The Sopranos, Showtime offered us its own mix of sex, politics, and history: The Tudors. The sexy opening montage made it clear this was not going to be A Man For All Seasons.

Unlaced bodices, vigorous men on horses, and various absurdly good-looking actors (no one had consulted a

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