Book Review: A Man For All Seasons, by Robert Bolt

First published in 1960 and produced as a play that same year, this script provides insight into the life and death of Sir Robert More. Initially a well-respected leader holding multiple responsible positions in the government of Henry VIII, More was executed at his direction in 1535. This was the result of his refusal to take an oath that he supported the act of Parliament making the king of England the head of the church in England, in addition to sanctioning his divorce from Catherine of Aragon. 

The emphasis of the play is that More refused to compromise on his convictions.  This boiled down to his belief that church and state were separate and Parliament had no authority to subject the church to the state. Henry’s divorce was a secondary factor that brought Spain to pressure the Pope to refuse to approve it, but that is what gets the most publicity. Henry had married his brother Arthur’s widow. The English cited Leviticus 18:16 and 20:21 as reasons for annulling the marriage, but conveniently ignored Deuteronomy 25:5-6 regarding the duty to a brother’s widow. Nor was there discussion of whether Christians are bound by Old Testament law, or mention of New Testament teachings. In any event, Henry’s marriages (six total), expropriation of property, and string of politically motivated executions provide evidence to the  condition of his soul. But this was not More’s primary issue. He simply had the conviction that the King should not control the church, and refused to take an oath to the contrary. It was not that More was innocent of  persecuting people, as his career included prosecution of Protestants and reformers.

What is the difference between a politician and a statesman, a ruler and a leader? Regardless of titles or epithets, this book vividly illustrates the outworking of character. The one who fears and honors God, looking towards the final outcome of his life, versus the ones who choose expediency to attain worldly success in this life. We have few of the former and an abundance of the latter - this has been the case throughout history. Politics is, after all, the process by which people with differing views negotiate to find common ground by which to make group decisions. What modern discourse lacks, illustrated so well in Bolt’s depiction of More, is a clear statement of ultimate values.