Thomas More: Saint or Villain?
Volume 2 | Issue 5 - Money
Article by Marie Stirling. Edited by Liz Goodwin. Additional Research by Liz Goodwin.
Henry VIII’s Chancellor enjoys an interesting reputation. A quick search can produce both a man who died heroically according to his conscience and a religious fanatic who was devoted to destroying heretics and their work. More has recently been portrayed sympathetically in modern fiction and television; one only need to look at the recent interpretation of his character in the show The Tudors, which creates a heartfelt scene at his execution. In More’s final speech to an overwhelming sympathetic crowd, he states both that he is dying for his faith and that they should pray for the King. This article intends to investigate the two extremes of Thomas More’s character to see if either of these judgments are justified.
Thomas More, born in 1478, was a prominent lawyer before his rise to court. He was a well-known European scholar, famously writing Utopia, a description of an imaginary republic. He worked closely with the King and was knighted for his efforts which were in 1521. There is evidence that he gave assistance in the writing of Henry’s Defence of the Seven Sacraments, which earned the King the Pope’s gratitude and the title Defender of the Faith. More continued to rise under Henry, replacing the disgraced Wolsey as Chancellor in 1529, as he stringently enforced anti-heretical legislation. However, arguments with the King over the break with Rome, his divorce and the marriage to Anne Boleyn led to More’s resignation. This was quickly followed by his arrest and eventual execution alongside Bishop Fisher on 6th July 1535. History and the Catholic Church however did not forget him and he was eventually made a saint by Pope Pius XI in 1935.
The above details can be found in any good bibliography but the more interesting question is why More should be
admired. A good starting point should surely be his untimely demise. With the beginning of the English Reformation under Henry VIII, Thomas was trapped between his loyalty to the King and his conscience. More was asked to swear the oath that the King was the Head of the Church and to accept Anne Boleyn’s children as successors, to which he refused. As he wrote in the Tower of London, into which he was committed on 17th April 1534, he could not in ‘good conscience’ swear this oath. Despite attempts from his daughter and several officials, including Thomas Cromwell, More would not be swayed even at the threat of his own life. The letters he wrote during his time in prison display a strong sense of piety and duty to God, a trait that was evident throughout his life. More had built his own personal chapel and took a firm hand in the religious education of his children. He continued in the belief of the righteousness of his actions even up to his execution, where he reportedly said ‘The King’s good servant, but God’s First’.
One may also admire More for his intellectual achievements and almost ‘enlightenment’ outlook. His most famous book Utopia was a great success amongst his contemporaries and reflected his humanist beliefs, which he shared with others across Europe, particularly with his friend Erasmus. With Erasmus he made a concerted effort against corruption in the Catholic Church, writing often against the vices in the Church. He also produced counter arguments to both Martin Luther and William Tyndale, both active reformers, rebuking their reasoning. These however were not some of More’s best works as he often resorted to playschool insults in his replies, on one occasion Luther is described as an ape dressed in purple. Still More’s other works certainly earned him a deserved reputation. He was frequently praised for his engaging personality and his wit. His brilliant conversations were subject to admiring remarks amongst his friends. He was further remarkable in the education of the children, insisting that his daughters be taught to the same level of his son.
Yet a biography should not ignore his religious actions. More led a ferocious campaign against heretics in England. Lutheran supporters were the subject of many of his writings, in which he thoroughly condemned their faith as treachery to the King and God. His public role allowed him to follow up his words with actions. He organized and led raids on London houses in the search of Heretic texts and instigated public apologies for heresy by numerous well-known figures on pain of death. These were the lucky ones as More personally approved the public burnings of six heretics and their works. While some may argue that this was to be expected at the time, the commitment and vengeance in More’s actions was almost unprecedented. G.R. Elton stated that More had lost ‘all sense of proportion when confronted with Lutheran heresy’. His actions were certainly far removed from the remarkable enlightened man of humanist sympathies, indeed his efforts could almost be aligned to those of the inquisition.
Perhaps the best solution to this is to view More as passionate and devoted man, but still a man, capable of both violence and piety. One should not leave out either side of More’s character when assessing him, as they are equally important to understanding his personality. As stated before, the twentieth century was sympathetic to the memory of Thomas More. Many schools, for example, are named after him. His books and intellectual thoughts are still widely acknowledged and frequently referenced. This article has hopefully shown that there is perhaps justification for this wealth of remembrance, as long as we remember the whole man rather than just the saint or the villain.
*****
“At a time of seething change, of not a little uncertainty, and of exciting conflict in religious and social life, the Great
Preacher of England once more comes forth to preach.” – opening line from Thomas More’s Utopia.
“Truly, he was a Renaissance man.” – Richard Marius
“I trust I make myself obscure.” – Paul Scofield as Thomas More in A Man For All Seasons (directed by Fred Zinneman, 1966)
Further Reading
P. Marshal, ‘A Man for All Seasons’, in Susan Doran and Thomas S. Freeman. (eds), Tudors and Stuarts on film : historical perspectives, (Basingstoke, 2009).
Thomas More’s Utopia, ed. P. Turner, (London, 1965).
Richard Marius, Thomas More: A biography,(London, 1999).
Peter Ackroyd, The life of Thomas More, (London, 1998).