The protagonist of Wolf Hall, Thomas Cromwell is a capable man who brings himself up from a poor and abusive childhood to become a courtier in Henry VIII’s court. As an adult, Thomas is well educated in religion, Latin, and literature. He is a large man with dark hair and intelligent eyes. He speaks a wide variety of languages, including English, Italian, Spanish, French, Welsh, and German.

At age fifteen, Thomas runs away from home after his father, Walter, beats him to within an inch of his life. He seeks refuge at the bar owned by his sister and brother-in-law, Kat and Morgan Williams. From there, he sets out to Dover from whence he makes his fortune. Thomas becomes a soldier fighting on the continent, where he learns Castilian Spanish. He returns to England twelve years later. He marries Liz Wykys, starts a family, and becomes Cardinal Thomas Wolsey’s right-hand man. Wolsey’s fall from grace nearly ruins Thomas. During this time, Thomas loses his wife and two daughters to disease.

After Cardinal Wolsey’s death, Thomas begins to make a name for himself in court. He becomes close with King Henry and Anne Boleyn and negotiates the complex relationship with his enemies and rivals, including Stephen Gardiner and Thomas More.