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A Man for All Seasons: Thomas Moore vs. King Henry VIII

Even with the king's pressure, Sir Thomas More could not bring himself to grant the divorce. Sir Thomas More determined the only way was to solve this dilemma was to claim ill health so that he would not be in the position to grant the divorce. So he retired from his position as Lord Chancellor of England and was not forced to grant the divorce. .
             When Sir Thomas More refused to grant the divorce, King Henry VIII took it upon himself to take matters into his own hands. The king enacted the Oath of Supremacy and the Act of Succession. The Oath of Supremacy recognized the king as the Supreme Head of the Church and enabled him to grant his own divorce from Catherine. When the Oath of Supremacy was passed, the king immediately divorced Catherine and married Anne Boleyn. The Act of Succession then concluded that the children of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn were to be the heirs to the throne. King Henry VIII also concluded that anyone that did not agree to the terms of the Oath of Supremacy or Act of Succession were to be sent to prison on charges of high treason. This situation then caused Sir Thomas More's second major dilemma.
             Sir Thomas More declined to swear to the Oath of Supremacy and the Act of Succession. He could not bring himself to swear on the bible that King Henry VIII was to be held as the utmost position of the church. Sir Thomas More was a devoted catholic and believed strongly that the Pope was the Supreme Head of the Church. He adamantly respected and followed the Pope's beliefs. Sir Thomas More was sent to prison on charges of treason then sent to the Tower of London. Throughout his trial, Sir Thomas More denied any wrongdoing but the jury sentenced him to be beheaded on Tower Hill.
             Sir Thomas More's decision not to grant the king a divorce was the correct decision. Sir Thomas More was a well-educated man who had strong beliefs. The primary concerns in his life were virtue and religion (Rabenstein 8).


Essays Related to A Man for All Seasons: Thomas Moore vs. King Henry VIII

1. Henry VIII

Henry was seen as an extremely overweight unpredictable paranoid man in his later years. ... Two men now assisted Henry: Thomas Cormwell and Thomas Cranmer(Henry). ... Through out his reign as king Henry VIII had six wives and this is one reason why he is so infamous. ... And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me. ... Although history would remember Henry VIII as a feared and terrible king, he did have some successes. ...

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That's what I think "A Man for All Seasons" is, someone who is willing to risk everything to not give in to what they are fighting against. ... Thomas More was a religious, well educated man who was King Henry VIII's right hand man. ... When the Pope wouldn't grant the divorce King Henry wanted to make his own church, the Church of England. Thomas believed that it wasn't right for the king to get a divorce. Everyone else just agreed with Henry because they didn't want to be trialed by high treason just like Thomas did. ...

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3. A Man For All Seasons

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4. A man for all seasons

The dissension over his death has spawned the play A Man for All Seasons, in which the author, Robert Bolt, depicts his view of the tragic progression to More's death. In this play, King Henry VIII, Thomas Cromwell, Richard Rich, and Sir Thomas More himself are responsible for the death of More. ... King Henry with his lust for new love took his unrelenting iron fist and thrust down Sir Thomas More's throat his last breath of life. ... Though it may be argued that Thomas Cromwell and Richard Rich are simply pawns for the king to play, every man is responsible to follow his conscious....

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5. Henry VIII And The Church Of England

It is easy enough for us, looking back; to see that King Henry's struggle to be the strong man of Europe was an expensive failure. ... It was this failure, which led to the important events in King Henry VIII's reign. ... It is almost impossible to say, because they were all urging King Henry in the same direction. ... (King Henry VIII) Thomas More Nobody was spared. King Henrys 'friend', Thomas More, who had been made chancellor in place of Wolsey, could not agree and tried to retire quietly. ...

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6. Moral Imagination of King Henry VIII

The history of King Henry VIII and his marriages are a timeless discussion that explores the morality of the king and his people at the time of his reign. King Henry the VIII was born into the Tudor line of monarch's in England and Wales. ... Henry was a boy that would soon grow up to be a man that would change the history of Catholicism in the English realm for centuries to come. ... Catherine of Aragon was the first of King Henry VIII's six wives. ... Anne Boleyn was destine to die the moment she had married her fickle husband, King Henry VIII. ...

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7. A Man For All Seaons

A "Man for All Seasons" is about a man so subtle and saintly that an actor who takes on the role must be able to project an almost superhuman presence. As is evident, the story is based on the life of Sir Thomas More, man of God and chancellor to the court of Henry VIII. ... More was the only member of Henry VIII's government who would not be seduced or corrupted by Henry's threats. When the king asked More to sign an oath establishing the monarchy as head of the Church of England, More refused. ... A man for all seasons, in other words. ...

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8. A man for all seasons reveiw

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Robert Bolt's timeless drama, A Man for all Seasons, depicts the conflict between a noblemen – Sir Thomas More, and the King – Henry VIII. The issue arises when Sir Thomas More does not grant a divorce from Catherine of Aragon for King Henry. ... The end of the play leaves the audience pondering on whether this character is the Man for all Seasons. ... Unlike other plays where we see one character's perspective, perhaps in his room, and then another's in his office, A Man for all Seasons has Sir Thomas More in every scene, almost without exception. ... Even The Co...

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