A Man for All Seasons Background and Discussion

Background and discussion questions on the film A Man for All Seasons

1.The historical Thomas More (St. Thomas More, Martyr, 1478-1535)
(from Robert Ellsberg, All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for our Time)

“Thomas More was one of the most highly respected men of his time. A successful barrister, judge known for his scrupulous integrity, a scholar, famous for his wit and learning, he rose by sheer merit to the highest status of any commoner in England. After a series of important public offices he was in 1529 appointed by King Henry VIII to the post of Lord Chancellor of England. To this his friend Erasmus, the Continental humanist remarked, ‘Happy the commonwealth where kings appoint such officials.’

“Despite his achievements, More had little ambition for worldly success. As he later wrote, ‘Reputation, honor, fame, what is all that but a breath of air from another person’s mouth, no sooner spoken but gone? Thus whoever finds his delight in them is feeding on wind.’ More was a man of deep and demanding faith. In his youth he had considered a monastic vocation before deciding instead that he was called to serve God in the world. While outwardly he enjoyed a life of comfort, in the privacy of his spiritual life he wore a hair shirt, attended daily mass, and practiced a strict discipline of prayer.

“More maintained a large household and took special delight in his children. His role in overseeing the education of his daughters, especially Margaret, his eldest and favorite, was considered remarkable for the time. After the death of his beloved first wife, he quickly married an older widow, Alice. She proved a loyal wife and a good stepmother, though she was prone to exasperation with her husband’s scholarly friends, his sense of humor, and his costly scruples.

“King Henry reckoned wisely on his chancellor’s brilliance and honesty. In all matters of his office More served with loyalty and distinction. But circumstances were to evolve to the point that Henry required a more absolute loyalty than More could offer. For some years, the court of Henry had been moving toward a fateful collision with the authority of the Catholic Church. ”

How More was compelled to become a martyr:
1. The Pope would not annul the marriage of Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon (Spain), so when the King married, More gave up his office rather than publicly opposing the King’s position. More did not attend the coronation of Queen Anne.
2. In 1534, the Act of Succession was proclaimed. All the subjects were required to take the Oath of Succession, stating that the offspring of Henry and Anne were true successors to the throne. This was acceptable to More, but the other part of the Act was to declare that Henry’s marriage to Catherine had not been a true marriage and repudiated the authority of the Pope. Because this part of the Oath signaled a break with the authority of the Pope, More could not take the oath. Therefore he was arrested on April 13, and taken to the Tower of London.
3. On February 1, 1535, Parliament passed the Acts of Supremacy, stating that the King was the “only supreme head of the Church of England.” More continued to be silent, and was convicted (through perjured evidence) of having spoken against the Acts and sentenced to death.

Some discussion questions:

1. Does More seek martyrdom?
2. What is the relationship between religion and politics in this film?
3. Why does the King want More to agree with him about the divorce and the marriage?
4. What is the significance of the silver goblet that More gives to Richard Rich? How is Rich corrupted? Would most people have taken the goblet? (Consider what Rich does with the money. Note the gorgeous gowns that Rich gets to wear as he achieves more wealth and status.)
5. Does More do the right thing when he makes his own family suffer when he follows his conscience? Does he not have a moral obligation to care for his family, instead of indulging in his own moral purity?
6. Contrast the religious qualities of Will Roper and the religious qualities of Thomas More. More changes from Lutheran to Catholic, while More supports a corrupted papacy. What is the difference between religious dogma and true faith?
7. Defend the King’s point of view in divorcing Catherine and in marrying Anne. Where does the King begin to err in terms of his ethical decisions?
8. How does More’s relationship with his wife, his daughter, Norfolk, and Roper help us to understand his character? How does each one of them tempt him from being true to himself and God?
9. If the bottom line in life is to be alive, to take care of one’s self and one’s family as well as one can, then how can Thomas More be considered a good person?
10. What is More’s point in proclaiming to Roper that the law is a good thing and that Roper would be wrong to cut down all the laws in England? More says that he will hide his family in the “thickets of the law.” Coming from a lawyer, what does this mean? Coming from a man of faith, what does this mean?