History Theatre / AManForAllSeasons

* TheGhost: For all that she's mentioned, Anne Boleyn never appears onstage in the play, although she does get one scene in the film.

* TheGhost: For all that she's mentioned, Anne Boleyn never appears onstage.

* DeadlyDecadentCourt: Being a government offical does not entail job security when Henry VIII is in charge. If you fail him or displease him expect a trumped up charge of treason somewhere in your future.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/AManForAllSeasons_7537.jpg]]

''A Man for All Seasons'' is an award-winning play written by Creator/RobertBolt and InspiredBy actual historic events. After successful runs in London (1960) and New York (1962), it was adapted to film in 1966. The play and the film made a star of Creator/PaulScofield, who won both a Tony Award and an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for his performance. The movie picked up five additional Oscars, including Best Adapted Screenplay (Bolt), Best Director (Fred Zinneman), and Best Picture. Also in the film's cast are Creator/WendyHiller, Leo [=McKern=], Creator/RobertShaw, Creator/OrsonWelles, Susannah York, Creator/VanessaRedgrave and Creator/JohnHurt.

Once upon a time, Sir UsefulNotes/ThomasMoore was a barrister who became the most trusted adviser of UsefulNotes/HenryVIII. Moore was a Catholic with a keen moral focus, and his advice was good.

Then Henry wanted to divorce wife Catherine of Aragon, who'd failed to produce a living son, so he could marry the fertile Anne Boleyn. Moore refused to support this plan; he considered it immoral, and against his religion. The fact that the original marriage had been arranged to help foster peace with another Catholic country (Spain) didn't help.

Henry VIII decided to TakeAThirdOption; leave the Catholic Church and found a new one, the Church of England, with himself as the head. Moore ''hated'' this idea and refused to support it -- although he'd made a bit of a stink about corruption and abuse of power in the Church, his Catholicism forbade him from supporting an outright schism. But everyone else who was anyone in the government did support the king. Moore, rather than kick up a protest, resigned and kept his mouth tightly shut, but the fact that he would not publicly endorse the idea made it pretty obvious to everybody that he was against it.

King Henry VIII was now good and angry at Thomas Moore, and the persecution started in earnest...

In 2006, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a radio version for their ''Saturday Play'', using music composed by Henry VIII himself and featuring Creator/CharlesDance as Sir Thomas Moore.

'''More:''' I think that when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties, they lead their country by a short route to chaos.

Once upon a time, Sir UsefulNotes/ThomasMore was a barrister who became the most trusted adviser of UsefulNotes/HenryVIII. More was a Catholic with a keen moral focus, and his advice was good.

Then Henry wanted to divorce wife Catherine of Aragon, who'd failed to produce a living son, so he could marry the fertile Anne Boleyn. More refused to support this plan; he considered it immoral, and against his religion. The fact that the original marriage had been arranged to help foster peace with another Catholic country (Spain) didn't help.

Henry VIII decided to TakeAThirdOption; leave the Catholic Church and found a new one, the Church of England, with himself as the head. More ''hated'' this idea and refused to support it -- although he'd made a bit of a stink about corruption and abuse of power in the Church, his Catholicism forbade him from supporting an outright schism. But everyone else who was anyone in the government did support the king. More, rather than kick up a protest, resigned and kept his mouth tightly shut, but the fact that he would not publicly endorse the idea made it pretty obvious to everybody that he was against it.

King Henry VIII was now good and angry at Thomas More, and the persecution started in earnest...

In 2006, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a radio version for their ''Saturday Play'', using music composed by Henry VIII himself and featuring Creator/CharlesDance as Sir Thomas More.

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: No mention is made of More's attitudes towards heresy and capital punishment which were suited to his age but [[ValuesDissonance not ours]].

* OpinionFlipflop: Roper starts the play as Lutheran, than by the end of Act I he's a Catholic. This is something of a family trait; Will's father was noted by More as "always swimming against the stream."

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: After More is found guilty of treason, and with nothing to lose he finally speaks his mind about Henry's separation with Rome. He angrily denounces Henry's actions as illegal, as Church Immunity from the State is promised in both Magna Carta and the Coronation Oath, and that the ''real'' reason he's on trial is not for refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy but for refusing to recogonize the marriage.

''A Man for All Seasons'' is an award-winning play written by Creator/RobertBolt and InspiredBy actual historic events. After successful runs in London (1960) and New York (1962), it was adapted to film in 1966. The play and the film made a star of Paul Scofield, who won both a Tony Award and an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for his performance. The movie picked up five additional Oscars, including Best Adapted Screenplay (Bolt), Best Director (Fred Zinneman), and Best Picture. Also in the film's cast are Creator/WendyHiller, Leo [=McKern=], Creator/RobertShaw, Creator/OrsonWelles, Susannah York, and Creator/JohnHurt.

In 2006, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a radio version for their ''Saturday Play'', using music composed by Henry VIII himself and featuring Charles Dance as Sir Thomas More.

* AndStarring: Paul Scofield as Sir Thomas More.

* OhCrap: A subtle one, but More is ''not'' happy, when he sees that Cromwell is now part of Henry's entourage.

** However, Henry began his affair with Anne after he ended his affair with her sister, Mary Boleyn, which was also biblically dubious. The term for intercourse with two family members is called "affinity".

''A Man for All Seasons'' is an award-winning play written by Creator/RobertBolt and InspiredBy actual historic events. After successful runs in London (1960) and New York (1962), it was adapted to film in 1966. The play and the film made a star of Paul Scofield, who won both a Tony Award and an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for his performance. The movie picked up five additional Oscars, including Best Adapted Screenplay (Bolt), Best Director (Fred Zinneman), and Best Picture. Also in the film's cast are Creator/WendyHiller, Leo [=McKern=], Robert Shaw, Creator/OrsonWelles, Susannah York, and Creator/JohnHurt.

* FauxAffablyEvil: Wosley and ''especially'' Cromwell.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Cranmer does not like the idea of Cromwell bribing the Jailer to commit prejury against More.

In 2006, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a radio version for their Saturday Play, using music composed by Henry VIII himself and featuring Charles Dance as Sir Thomas More.

* DatingWhatDaddyHates: Meg's boyfriend Will Roper is a fine young man from a good family who's been called to the Bar and later offered a seat in Parliament. He just happens to be a Lutheran or in More's words a heretic. Roper eventually goes back to Catholicism, and marries Meg.

* BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork: Cromwell is Henry's agent, and does most of the "diagreeable tasks" in the play. Notably the King himself doesn't order Norfolk to join the conspiracy against More, he has Cromwell do it for him instead.

* DeadlyDecadentCourt: Being a government offical does not entail job security when Henry VIII is in charge. If you fail him or displease him expect a trumped up charge of treason somehwhere in your future.

* JokerJury: The jury of More's trial is composed of broomsticks wearing hats, expect the Common Man, who's the foreman.

->'''Wolsey''': Now, explain how you, as a councillor of England, can obstruct these measures for the sake of your own private conscience.\\

--> '''More''': Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world...But for ''[[ComicallySmallBribe Wales]]''?

-->'''Wolsey''': The King wants a son- what are you going to do about it?\\
'''More''': ''(dry)'' I'm very sure the King needs no advice from me on what to do about it.

-->'''Lady Alice''': Poor, silly man, do you think they'll leave you here to think?\\
'''More''': If we govern our tongues they will!

--> '''Wolsey:''' More, you should have been a cleric!
--> '''More:''' Like yourself, Your Grace?

-->'''William Roper''': So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!\\
'''Sir Thomas More''': Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?\\
'''William Roper''': Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!\\
'''Sir Thomas More''': Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, [[ArmorPiercingQuestion where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat]]? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, [[PragmaticHero for my own safety's sake]]!

--> '''Norfolk:''' "The moment Thomas knew the cup was a bribe he dropped it into the nearest ''gutter''."

* TheCameo: In the movie, Vanessa Redgrave is onscreen for about a minute as Anne Boleyn.

->'''Cardinal Thomas Wolsey''': Now, explain how you, as a councillor of England, can obstruct these measures for the sake of your own private conscience.\\
'''Sir Thomas More:''' I think that when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties, they lead their country by a short route to chaos.

''A Man for All Seasons'' is an award-winning play written by Creator/RobertBolt and InspiredBy actual historic events. After successful runs in London (1960) and New York (1962), it was adapted to film in 1966. The play and film made a star of Paul Scofield, who won both a Tony Award and an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for his performance. The movie picked up five additional Oscars, including Best Adapted Screenplay (Bolt), Best Director (Fred Zinneman), and Best Picture. Also in the film's cast are Creator/WendyHiller, Leo [=McKern=], Robert Shaw, Creator/OrsonWelles, Susannah York, and Creator/JohnHurt.

''A Man for All Seasons'' is an award-winning play written by Creator/RobertBolt and InspiredBy actual historic events. After successful runs in London (1960) and New York (1962), it was adapted to film in 1966. The play and film made a star of Paul Scofield, who won both a Tony Award and an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for his performance. The movie picked up five additional Oscars, including Best Adapted Screenplay (Bolt), Best Director (Fred Zinneman), and Best Picture. Also in the film's cast are Wendy Hiller, Leo [=McKern=], Robert Shaw, Creator/OrsonWelles, Susannah York, and Creator/JohnHurt.

* SuccessionCrisis: Why all this is happening in the first place -- Henry VIII wants a male heir, and wife #1 (Catherine of Aragon) hasn't provided one. Wolsey fears that the WarsOfTheRoses (Yorkist Wars) will start up again without one.

''A Man for All Seasons'' is an award-winning play written by Creator/RobertBolt and InspiredBy actual historic events. After successful runs in London (1960) and New York (1962), it was adapted to film in 1966. The play and film made a star of Paul Scofield, who won both a Tony Award and an AcademyAward for his performance. The movie picked up five additional Oscars, including Best Adapted Screenplay (Bolt), Best Director (Fred Zinneman), and Best Picture. Also in the film's cast are Wendy Hiller, Leo [=McKern=], Robert Shaw, Creator/OrsonWelles, Susannah York, and Creator/JohnHurt.

* AdaptationalHeroism: The Duke of Norfolk is not the judge in More's trial (being replaced by a trio of judges) but merely a spectator instead.

* TakeThat: "Why, Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world... but for ''Wales''?"