A Man for All Seasons

A Man for All Seasons is a book written about the life and times of King Henry VIII of England. The story revolves around the King's decision seek approval from the Pope first to marry his brother's widow, Catherine of Aragon, and later to divorce Catherine. King Henry decided that when the marriage failed to produce a male heir that he would ask the Pope for permission to annul the marriage. Henry's plan was to marry is mistress, Ann Boleyn, who he hoped would produce a male heir. When the Pope refused to grant another dispensation, Henry was furious with his closest advisor, Cardinal Wolsey. When Wolsey died, the King appointed Thomas More as Lord Chancellor of England. Soon after, the King enacted legislation to undermine the authority of the Catholic Church throughout England. When the new Archbishop of Canterbury approved Henry's divorce and marriage to Ann Boleyn, Henry was excommunicated by the Pope. As a result, in 1534 the King convinced the Parliament to pass the Act of Supremacy which made Henry VIII the head of the Church in England.

Thomas More was opposed King Henry's desire to divorce Catherine of Aragon. Thomas More was a devoutly religious man who had given serious thought to joining a Catholic monastic order in his youth. More found it shocking that the King would question the doctrine of papal supremacy and papal infallibility. As Lord Chancellor, More had unabashedly pursued and punished those found to be heretics, and

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condemn his soul to purgatory. However, Thomas More integrity is such that he refused to speak out against King Henry's divorce of Catherine of Aragon. He offered no public or private opinion on the subject until after he has been condemned to death based on false testimony. Another important character is Richard Rich. Rich was a low level civil servant with whom Thomas More is acquainted. Rich approaches More about a position. More refused to support his appointment, and suggested instead that Rich consider becoming a teacher. The King's confidential assistant, Thomas Cromwell, sees the ambivalence that Rich has toward More as an opportunity. Cromwell offers Rich rapid advancement if he will report on the activities of Thomas More as well as the Spanish Ambassador. At one point, Rich tells More that Cromwell is trying to gather information against him. More is unconcerned since he has found a moral and legal loophole. More does not intend to speak for or against the divorce or the Oath of Supremacy. At first, Rich is a reluctant informant. As time passes, Rich's integrity is first strained and later broken as he becomes an active participant in the conspiracy to convict Thomas More of treason. While in jail, More is interr

Category: Literature - A