History Theatre / AManForAllSeasons

''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 [[TheFilmOfThePlay 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, Creator/LeoMcKern, Creator/RobertShaw, Creator/OrsonWelles, Creator/SusannahYork, Creator/VanessaRedgrave, and Creator/JohnHurt.

%%* DoomedMoralVictor: Sir Thomas More.

* HotConsort: Anne Boleyn (in the five seconds we see her, anyway).

* AffablyEvil: Archbishop Cranmer, in contrast to the bully Cromwell. He's actually envious of More's certainty that he's going to Heaven at the end.

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

* ChristianityIsCatholic: Averted here. It isn't after a certain point, but More thinks it ''should'' be.
* TheConscience: More ''tries'' to be this to Henry, but Cromwell has other plans.

* DeadpanSnarker: Cromwell and, on occasion, Sir Thomas:
-->'''Wolsey:''' The King wants a son- what are you going to do about it?\\

* DoomedMoralVictor: Sir Thomas More.

* EvilMentor: Cromwell to Rich.

-->It isn't difficult to keep alive, friends – just don't make trouble – or if you must make trouble, make the sort of trouble that's expected.

* HonorBeforeReason: Done nobly.

* InspiredBy
* InsultBackfire:
-->'''Wolsey:''' More, you should have been a cleric!\\
'''More:''' Like yourself, Your Grace?
* IronicEcho: "This isn't Spain. This is England!"

* LaserGuidedKarma: A few years after the events of the play (as stated in the epilogue), Henry VIII has Thomas Cromwell executed for treason, meeting the same fate that his machinations inflicted on Sir Thomas More.

* MiscarriageOfJustice: The climax turns on one of these; it's the cause of the DownerEnding.
* NeverLearnedToRead: More's wife.

-->Why, Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world... but for ''Wales''?

* GorgeousPeriodDress

-->Cromwell was [[LaserGuidedKarma beheaded for high treason]] five years after More. The Archbishop was burned at the stake. The Duke of Norfolk ''should'' have been executed for high treason, but the King [[KarmicDeath died of syphilis the night before]]. [[KarmaHoudini Richard Rich became Chancellor of England and died in his bed.]]

* StealthInsult: Norfolk gives a truly awesome one directed at Rich (who gives him a DeathGlare in return):
--> '''Norfolk:''' The moment Thomas knew the cup was a bribe he dropped it into the nearest ''gutter''.

* YourDaysAreNumbered: Wolsey is well aware that if he can't secure a divorce his days as Chancellor are over.

In 2006, [[Creator/TheBBC 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.

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.

In addition to the film, the play has been produced for television at least three times, including a 1988 version starring Creator/CharltonHeston. The 1988 version stuck closely to the stage version, including retaining the FourthWall-breaking narrator-character.

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.

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 devout 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.

''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, Creator/LeoMcKern, Creator/RobertShaw, Creator/OrsonWelles, Creator/SusannahYork, Creator/VanessaRedgrave, and Creator/JohnHurt.

* KangarooCourt: More's trial. Witnesses who could help him are conveniently out of the country. The evidence against him is false, and done so for a very obvious bribe (Rich's job as Attonery General for Wales which is announced to the whole court). But the real clincher is when Cromwell intimidates the jury enough to ''not'' consider the evidence but deliver a guilty verdict right then and there.

** Henry VIII is jolly, gregarious, and friendly with the court and subjects. However, anyone who crosses him winds up imprisoned in the Tower or with his neck on the chopping block.

** Henry VIII is portrayed as an intellectual cypher, though possessed with a low cunning. In reality, he was, like all the Tudors, something of an intellectual with a real appreciation for fine culture.

** Cardinal Wolsey.
** Archbishop Cranmer.

* KarmaHoudini: Richard Rich. While years later, Thomas Cromwell and Archbishop Cramner eventually lose favor with the king and were executed, Rich, who was perhaps the most corrupt and amoral of the conspirators against More, becomes Chancellor and lives to a ripe old age, wealthy and powerful.

* KarmaHoudini: Richard Rich. While Thomas Cromwell and Archbishop Cramner eventually lose favor with Henry VIII and are executed, Rich, who was perhaps the most corrupt and amoral of the conspirators against More, becomes Chancellor and lives to a ripe old age, wealthy and powerful.

''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, Creator/SusannahYork, Creator/VanessaRedgrave, and Creator/JohnHurt.

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.

[[quoteright:340:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/a_man_for_all_seasons.jpeg]]

* DecadentCourt: 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.

* KarmaHoudini: "Richard Rich became Chancellor of England...and died in his bed."

-->Cromwell was [[LaserGuidedKarma beheaded for high treason]] five years after More. The archbishop was burned at the stake. The Duke of Norfolk ''should'' have been executed for high treason, but the king [[KarmicDeath died of syphilis the night before]]. [[KarmaHoudini Richard Rich became chancellor of England and died in his bed.]]

-->Cromwell was [[LaserGuidedKarma beheaded for high treason]] five years after More. The archbishop was burned at the stake. The Duke of Norfolk should have been executed for high treason, but the king [[KarmicDeath died of syphilis the night before]]. [[KarmaHoudini Richard Rich became chancellor of England and died in his bed.]]

* OffscreenKarma: Various villains conspire to have Thomas More unjustly executed for treason. The narrator gives us their subsequent fates:
-->Cromwell was [[LaserGuidedKarma beheaded for high treason]] five years after More. The archbishop was burned at the stake. The Duke of Norfolk should have been executed for high treason, but the king [[KarmicDeath died of syphilis the night before]]. [[KarmaHoudini Richard Rich became chancellor of England and died in his bed.]]