A Man for All Seasons

A Man for All Seasons Summary | Preface Summary

Robert Bolt gives some information as to the historical background of the events depicted in his play. Henry VIII was a man that had it all at the beginning of the play. Throughout his life, he was accustomed to getting what he wanted. Bolt refers to Henry as the baser side of human nature. Medieval religion stood against Henry's wish to divorce his wife and marry his mistress, Anne Boleyn.

Henry was the second born son, and ascended the throne only after the death of his older brother, Arthur. He married Catherine of Aragon, who was his brother's wife, to keep the kingdoms of England and Spain united. The Pope dispensed a law stating that a man was forbidden to marry his brother's wife at the request of both royal families. The couple married and were thought to be happy for some years.

Eventually, Henry wanted to divorce his wife and marry Anne Boleyn. He had several reasons for wanting a divorce. Catherine had become increasingly religious and rigid, the Spanish-English alliance had increasingly become unpopular with the people of England and Henry had fallen in love with one of his many mistresses, Anne. The most pressing reason for the divorce was his desire to have a son. Catherine and Henry had several sons, but none had survived. Their only surviving child, a daughter named Mary, was seen as unfit to rule because she was a woman. No woman had ruled in her own right at this time.

Henry needed the Pope to nullify his marriage to Catherine in order to marry Anne. He asked the Pope to do so on the grounds that it was unlawful to marry his brother's wife. Henry now considered the law valid. The Pope, tired of the King dictating Church law, refused Henry's request. In addition, Rome was occupied by Spain and the Pope was under pressure from Spain to refuse the request. Henry argued that the Pope and his father had forced him into a state of sin and he feared for his soul. Henry declared that the Pope was an ordinary Bishop with no power to appoint other Bishops. Henry felt that the power to appoint bishops was his, because he was King. He looked for a candidate that would bow to his wishes and nullify the marriage, and found his man in Thomas Cranmer. Cranmer was appointed Bishop of Canterbury and soon after granted the divorce and married Henry and Anne. The Church of England was created.

Bolt writes that we speak of ourselves in the third person and measure self against our larger society. The author points out the problem with this theory the fact that society can only understand us as far as we understand ourselves.

Sir Thomas More had an ability to seize life, and found a sense of self that most others lack. Without this sense of self, life has no value. Sir Thomas More was an orthodox Catholic and refused to take the oath because he believed to do so would result in his own damnation. Very few have his sense of an inviolable mortal soul. There is little people will not do to save themselves and better their position. More's sense of self would not allow him to bend to the King's wishes. More trusted the law to protect him. He believed the law was the pattern of society and his trust in the law was equivalent to his trust in society.

The Common Man plays several roles throughout the play: the steward, boatman, jailer and hangman. Bolt intended the Common Man to represent that which is common in all of us. He has been seen to represent the lower forms of humanity. This representation, while valid, is not what the author intended.