Both Uses of
cunning
in
Henry VIII
- This cunning Cardinal The articles o' the combination drew As himself pleas'd; and they were ratified As he cried "Thus let be," to as much end As give a crutch to the dead.†
Scene 1.1 *cunning = good at achieving goals through cleverness and deception
- My lord, my lord, I am a simple woman, much too weak To oppose your cunning.†
Scene 2.4
Definitions:
-
(1)
(cunning as in: a cunning thief) being good at achieving goals through cleverness -- and typically through deception as well (tricking others)
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) At one time, cunning was also used as a synonym for cute.