Reginald Pole - in Fiction

In Fiction

Cardinal Pole is a major character in the historical novel The Trusted Servant by Alison Macleod. The book's (fictional) protagonist is sent by King Henry VIII to assassinate Pole in Italy. He relents and saves the Cardinal from a fellow assassin, and is taken into Pole's service. As first presented to the reader, Cardinal Pole is a kindly, indeed almost saintly man, highly liberal and tolerant by the standards of the time, and the protagonist becomes very devoted to his service. But when Pole returns to England after King Henry's death and the accession of Mary, he is portrayed as becoming increasingly tyrannical and oppressive, exasperated with the recalcitrance of the English, their refusal to re-embrace Roman Catholicism and their sympathy for the underground Protestant sects. Macleod also suggests that Pole was subconsciously guided by vindictiveness against the English, for having failed to stand by his mother when she was put to death under Henry. Finally, the protagonist breaks with Pole and helps condemned Protestants to escape. When last seen in the book, Pole is presented as a tragic, broken man, whose dreams and ideals have all turned to ashes. While facing the hostility of the Protestants, he is also suddenly attacked by the Pope, his former friend Caraffa.

In the novel Q by Luther Blissett, while not appearing himself, Pole is mentioned many times as the book's subject in the upheavals caused by the Reformation and the Roman Church's response during the 16th century.

Cardinal Pole is a major character in Peter Walker's novel, The Courier's Tale, published in 2010. The years of Pole's exile in Italy and later return to England as Archbishop of Canterbury in the reign of Queen Mary are told through the story of his confidential agent, Michael Throckmorton (an actual historical figure).

Reginald Pole is a character in Lucy Beckett's historical novel The Time Before You Die - A Novel of the Reformation published by Antony Rowe (Eastbourne, East Sussex) 2005 (first published by Ignatius Press, San Francisco 1999).

In Season 3 of Showtime's series The Tudors, Cardinal Pole is portrayed by Canadian actor Mark Hildreth.