In his work, Utopia, Book One Thomas More delivers a tale of the ideal place, which appears real in every way. The work depicts conversations between More and his colleagues as they discuss various forms of government, crime and punishment, and other life events. Whenever More speaks of England, his words denote a level of passion and devotion of a person who loves his homeland but has seen it fall into ruin. In the pages of his work, he listens to his friend Raphael Hythloday describe a place almost as a Utopia. However, since More Wrote Utopia for the educated elite (More first printed it in Latin), those that read the work understood Utopia was about a nonexistent location. More still manages to make Utopia appear real due to his use of juxtaposition and allusion to compare it to England to show his discontent with the current state of the English Monarchy.
As Book One begins, More uses the name of King Henry VIII of England to set the stage and make the work appear to have a tangible hold on the reality of the time. By using the name of an actual king, More begins to show his anger at the state of the monarchy. The opening line of the work reads, "The most invincible King of England, Henry, the eighth of the name, and prince adorned with royal virtues beyond any other, " (575). Thusly he begins the use of juxtaposition between More's own concepts of the perfect world and the world he lives in. .
By doing this at the very beginning of the work, the readers instantly connect the work with their own lives. Through the character of Raphael More can explain the world outside of England. "He told up that when Vespucci sailed away, he and his companions who had stayed behind in the fort often met with the people of the countryside " (577). More again uses the juxtaposition between reality and the ideal to connect the reader's world to something fantastical by the storytelling.
When he hears of the life that Raphael has lived, More suggests that Raphael could serve in the court of a king.