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A Man For All Seasons

A Man For All Seasons takes place in England in the 1530’s. Sir Thomas More, a devoted Catholic objects to King Henry’s plan to divorce and remarry in order to get a male heir to the throne. This causes chaos and confusion as More refuses to swear to the Oath of Supremacy. More is against both the Act of Succession and the Oath of Supremacy. This causes conflict and turmoil in England.
The Act of Succession and the Oath of Supremacy were both major parts of A Man For All Seasons. The Act of Succession was first passed on March 23, 1534. Parliament decided that the heir to England would be one of King Henry’s children. The Act made Princess Elizabeth the true successor to the heir. It also stated that Princess Mary was illegitimate. All subjects, that were commanded to, had to swear to an oath to recognize the Act and the King’s ascendancy. Anyone who refused to take the oath was charged with treason. The Act was outlawed in 1536, declaring that Elizabeth was also illegitimate. The Act of Succession of 1544 had Mary and Elizabeth reinserted to the line of beneficiary, behind their half-brother Edward (English Act of Succession). The Oath of Supremacy, presumed by the Act of Supremacy of 1559, stated that any person taking office in the church or public in England was to swear allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Anyone who did not swear to the oath was charged with treason. Roman Catholics who did not swear to the Oath of Supremacy were found guilty of treason on charges for praemunire. These people were then executed (Oath of Supremacy).
Two conflicts in A Man For All Seasons that relate to the Act of Succession and the Oath of Supremacy were that King Henry wanted to divorce his aging wife, in order to marry his mistress. This was a problem because the Pope was against the divorce. King Henry wanted to do this so that he could get a son, as heir to the throne. Because of the Act of Succession, Parliament...