Man of All Seasons: King Henry VIII of England

Thomas more(prenominal)'s views quickly resulted in him losing favor with Henry. Initially, Henry told more that he would leave him unaccompanied provided that more did not speak against the disjoin. More agreed to this arrangement. Ominously, the queen regnant told More that any of his subjects who opposed him would be guilty of treason. This implied that if More opposed Henry appointing himself head of the church that he would as well as be guilty of treason. More reminded the exponent that when he was make Chancellor it was with the understanding that this issue would not be bingle that they would ever agree upon. Less than three years after(prenominal) he was appointed Lord Chancellor, Thomas More was agonistic to resign this position and with it the power and wealth that accompanied it. A few years later, More was beheaded for high treason. At trial, More is accused of treason for his silence. More responded that in the virtue as in the bible, the maxim is silence gives consent and that if anything could be interpreted from his silence, it must be consent, not denial.

More was tenacious in his refusal to take the Oath of Supremacy even in the face of remnant. More refused to sacrifice his personal integrity by reciting an Oath that he believed was against everything that he had believed to be true. More was not refusing his loyalty to baron Henry; he was simply unwilled to acknowledge that Henry was superior to God. As a globe of deep religious yard birdion and personal integrity

, Thomas More believed that to offer this Oath to power Henry would be to 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 personal opinion on the subject until after he has been condemned to death based on false testimony.

King Henry's influence is seen end-to-end the play. Henry thinks of himself as a man of integrity. He believes that he should be leaveed a second dispensation, and when the Pope refused to grant an annulment, he considers it an insult to his character and to his integrity.

As a result, it becomes heavy for King Henry that his subjects validate his view of himself. Henry is deep concerned about what his Lord Chancellor, Thomas More, thinks of his actions. Henry places big importance on what More, a man of honor and integrity, thinks of the King's purpose to appoint himself as head of the church. Henry feels that his actions will be vindicated if Thomas More states publicly that he accepts the King's permission to divorce Catherine by taking the Oath of Supremacy. More believes that as long as he does offer an opinion that as a matter of law his silence must be taken as consent rather than dissent of the divorce and re-marriage. The King finds More's silence to be an attack on the King and on his integrity. Henry instructs Cromwell to find a way to convict More of treason.

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 keep up his appointment, and suggested instead that Rich consider becoming a teacher. The King's private assistant, Thomas Cromwell, sees the ambivalence that Rich has toward More as an opportunity. Cromwe
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