A Man for All Seasons

The classic dramatization of Sir Thomas More's historic conflict with Henry VIII-a compelling portrait of a courageous man who died for his convictions. Sir Thomas More-the brilliant nobleman, lawyer, humanist, author of such works as Utopia-was a long-time friend and favorite of Henry VIII, ascending to the position of Lord Chancellor in 1529. Yet he was also a staunch Catholic, and when Henry broke with the Church in 1531 after the Pope had refused to grant him a divorce from Catherine of Aragon, More resigned the Chancellorship. In 1534, Parliament passed a bill requiring all subjects to take an oath acknowledging the supremacy of England's king over all foreign sovereigns-including the Pope. More refused, was imprisoned, and finally was executed in 1535. An enduring modern classic, A Man for All Seasons "challenges the mind, and, in the end, touches the heart" (New York Times).