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

The first dilemma Sir Thomas More faced revolved around King Henry VIII desperately wanting a divorce from his wife, Catherine of Aragon. At first, Catherine was married to King Henry VIII’s brother, Arthur. When Arthur died, King Henry VIII wanted to marry Catherine so that he would become the next King of England. According to church laws, a man was not permitted to marry his dead brother’s widow. However, the church ignored this rule and allowed the marriage to take place. As time went one King Henry VIII wanted to divorce Catherine because she was unable give him a son and also because he fell in love with another woman, Anne Boleyn. King Henry VIII wanted his marriage to Catherine to be considered invalid because of the church’s beliefs. Against King Henry Vic’s desires, the church determined the marriage was to remain. King Henry VIII sought out Sir Thomas More, who was

Sir Thomas More could not bring it upon himself to grant the king a divorce and refused to grant King Henry VIII request primarily because of the church’s original ruling. Also influencing his choice was the fact that the church had initially ignored a church rule to allow the marriage to take place. King Henry VIII tried to convince Sir Thomas More that it would be in his best interest to grant the king a divorce otherwise everything he owned would be taken away. 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.

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 was a courageous man who stood up for his convictions when everything in his life including his life was at stake. He was a devoted Catholic that believed strongly in the Pope and the incorrectness of the marriage between King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. It was his duty as Chancellor of England to uphold the law along with the beliefs of the church. Sir Thomas More pro

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