What was that all about?

So today I actually read the play Henry VIII. To paraphrase, the Prolouge states, "This is a sad play, prepare to cry." OK. It begins with the Duke of Buckingham's arrest for treason on charges of wanting to overthrow the king (oddly enough, he tells us later, he's the son of the same Buckingham in Richard III and wants us to notice the parallel). Then it goes into the crisis over Henry wanting to divorce Katherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boylen (in it's native English spelling Bullen in my text). There is a big trial, but before it even starts Katherine makes a big scene and leaves. Some of the events, like in The Winter's Tale, are described but not actually shown, and there are a lot of official processions. Katherine is depicted as a weak but virtuous and obedient woman, and Anne is only shown three times and is depicted as completely innocent of any ambition. The focus is on Cardinal Wolsey's fall because he supported Henry's divorce but did NOT want him to marry Anne, and after being forced to surrender his seal of office he gives a long "Oh Woe is Me" soliloquy and acts repentant. His death is described to the dying Katherine. Act V jumps ahead to Cramner, the archbishop of Canterbury, being tried by a council for teaching heresy, but then the King coming in to pardon him. The last scene is Henry greeting Baby Elizabeth after her christening.

I have no idea at the moment what Shakespeare is trying to say by this. All I know is it's very glossy over the actual history, a lot of the events are mashed together, and it was written about the time Elizabeth I died. I am not sure what this will have to do with my thesis. We'll see!