Originally posted by John Lambert:
Actually this 100% works. The equation of nunnery with brothel is a post-reformation thing. Henry VIII was a good Catholic until his dieing day, even if he declared himself superior to the pope and all, he never could stomach letting priests marry and probably rolled over in his grave when Edward VI allowed such. So Henry VIII would never use nunnery to mean "brothel", but by the time of Shakespear they had rejected Catholicism, fully embraced the Reformation, and would speak of Catholic things with full derision.
Thanks for the explanation. I was wondering what was up. I knew he would never send Catherine or Mary to a brothel (even if he himself might use such services -- or at least how he's portrayed in the show). Ahhhh. Linguistics, how language changes over time.
