Playwright Robert Bolt had a long-standing fascination with the story of Sir Thomas More, an English statesman and lawyer who served as Lord High Chancellor of England under King Henry VIII. More fractured his relationship with the monarchy when he refused to take the Oath of Supremacy swearing allegiance to the monarchy as the head of the Church of England. He also refused to legitimize the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon. The intrigue surrounding the plot to secure the divorce and More’s subsequent persecution is the basis of A Man for All Seasons. Narrated by a man identified only as Common Man (who also plays a number of ensemble parts), the play follows More as he is confronted by antagonistic forces like the powerful Cardinal Wolsey and the opportunistic Richard Rich. King Henry VIII himself makes an appearance as well, portrayed as a youthful drunkard burdened by sin but determined to overcome God’s punishment and secure an heir to the throne. With moments of rich humor and transparent theatricality, the play is an homage to the style of Bertolt Brecht that paints a portrait of More not as a heroic martyr but as a victim of his own sense of morality.
A Man for all Seasons guide sections
