Catherine of Aragon - Tragic Heroine of Henry VIIIAmong the bevy of female characters that grace the Shakespearean stage, Catherine of Aragon in Henry VIII is perhaps the most enigmatic. Despite the range of possibilities in other female roles - such as Cordelia and Desdemona, in which desirable traits are certainly found - Katherine stands out as a tragic heroine: a confident, strong-willed, eloquent, passionate, charismatic and selfless woman. Katherine's unique qualities are achieved through Shakespeare's careful insertion of rhetorical devices into his speeches. Interestingly, however, the paucity of critical attention paid to Katherine's language suggests that many scholars have relegated this great lady to secondary importance in the grand scheme of the work. With Act II, scene 4 - Blackfriars Hall - Shakespeare provides his greatest full rendering of Katherine as a dynamic character. Specifically, what should be noted here are what can be called “semantic cues,” that is, those expressions of humility employed by Katherine that lead to her passionate arguments. However, there are some sentences in Katherine's speech to the court that, when considered alone, pose problems in viewing her as the protagonist of the play. Therefore, in an attempt to highlight the importance of this scene, it is necessary to explore the scenes immediately before and after II.4 involving Katherine. What will emerge, hopefully, is evidence of how Shakespeare's recurring use of rhetorical paradox makes Katherine such an important dramatic figure. Maria Dowling wrote about Katherine's educational background and her contribution to women's learning opportunities, quoting a statement made by Erasmus: "The Queen is strikingly......in the center of the paper......in King Henry VIII.Works CitedDowling, Maria "A Woman's Place? Learning and the Wives of Henry VIII." History Today (June 1991): 38-42. Elze, Karl. Essays on Shakespeare (1874) trans. by L. Dora Schmitz. London: Kennikat Press, 1970. Hutchinson, F.E. Cranmer and the English Reformation. London: English Universities Press, 1965. Kamps, Ivo. “Possible Past: Historiography and Legitimation in Henry VIII.” of courtesy and Henry VIII." Shakespeare Quarterly 43:4 (Winter 1992): 391-409. Scarisbrick, JJ Henry VIII. Los Angeles, CA: U of California P, 1969. Shakespeare, William. King Henry VIII. Ed. John Margeson. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1990. The Standard Dictionary of Facts Ed. Henry W. Ruoff Buffalo, NY: The Frontier Press, 1913.