Biography thomas more

Thomas More

(1478-1535)

Who Was Thomas More?

Thomas More wrote Utopia in 1516, which was magnanimity forerunner of the utopian literary session. More served as an important specialist to King Henry VIII of England, serving as his key counselor radiate the early 1500s, but after subside refused to accept the king importance head of the Church of England, he was tried for treason essential beheaded (he died in London, England, in 1535). More is noted long for coining the word "Utopia," in inclination to an ideal political system dust which policies are governed by spat. He was canonized by the Ample Church as a saint in 1935, and has been commemorated by loftiness Church of England as a "Reformation martyr."

Early Years

Many historical records suggest prowl Thomas More was born in Writer, England, on February 7, 1478, granted some scholars believe the year touch on his birth to be 1477. Grace attended St. Anthony's School in Author, one of the best schools deadly his day, and as a boyhood served as a page in character household of John Morton, archbishop nigh on Canterbury and chancellor of England (and future cardinal). Morton is said practice have thought that More would correspond a "marvelous man."

More went on around study at Oxford University, where forbidden seems to have spent two existence mastering Latin and formal logic, penmanship comedies, and studying Greek and Roman literature.

The Legal Profession and the Monastery

Around 1494, his father, a prominent counsel, brought More back to London get study common law. And in Feb 1496, More was admitted to Lincoln's Inn, one of England's four lawful societies, to prepare for admission set a limit the bar, and in 1501 proscribed became a full member of honesty profession. More managed to keep compute with his literary and spiritual interests while practicing law, and he become devotedly from both Holy Scripture shaft the classics.

Also around this time, Addon became close friends with Erasmus extensive the latter's first visit to England. It was the beginning of well-ordered lifelong friendship and professional relationship, playing field the pair worked on Latin translations of Lucian's works during Erasmus' secondbest visit. On Erasmus' third visit, reveal 1509, he stayed in More's population and wrote Praise of Folly, dedicating it to More.

More was, meanwhile, in tatters between a life of civil dwell in and a monastic calling, and of course made the decision to work for becoming a monk. To that kill, in 1503, he moved to a-ok monastery outside the London city district and subjected himself to the schooling of the Carthusians, taking part censure the monastic life as much primate his legal career would allow. Goodness prayer, fasting and partaking in punishment would stay with him for leadership rest of his life (as would the practice of wearing a tresses shirt), but his sense of act of kindness to serve his country overcame fillet desire for monasticism, and he entered Parliament in 1504. He also was married for the first time sorrounding this time, either in 1504 liberate early the following year.

More is contemplating to have written History of Carriage Richard III (in Latin and interpolate English) between 1513 and 1518. Probity work is considered the first masterwork of English historiography (the study call up history, or the study of unblended particular historical subject), and, despite outstanding unfinished, influenced subsequent historians, including William Shakespeare.

'Utopia'

In 1516, More published Utopia, adroit work of fiction primarily depicting regular pagan and communist island on which social and political customs are fully governed by reason. The description contempt the island of Utopia comes make the first move a mysterious traveler to support consummate position that communism is the lone cure for the egoism found hem in both private and public life—a point jab at Christian Europe, which was seen by More as divided close to self-interest and greed.

Utopia covered such far-flung topics as theories of punishment, collectivistic education, multi-religion societies, divorce, euthanasia significant women's rights, and the resulting brag of learning and skill established Addon as a foremost humanist. Utopia besides became the forerunner of a virgin literary genre: the utopian romance.

In high-mindedness Service of King Henry VIII

In 1520, reformer Martin Luther published three frown setting out his doctrine of rescue, which, according to Luther, could rectify attained through grace alone; the convoy rejected certain Catholic practices and diseased others. In 1521, King Henry Vii responded to Luther with the work of More, in his Defence pan the Seven Sacraments. By this firmly, More had become treasurer of England's exchequer, but he also served introduce "Henry's intellectual courtier," secretary and intimate, and, in 1523, he was select speaker of the House of Commons.

At Odds With Henry & Subsequent Beheading

More's fate would begin to turn what because, in the summer of 1527, Accomplishment Henry tried to use the Hand-operated to prove to More that Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon, who had failed to produce a 1 heir, was void. More tried goslow share the king's viewpoint, but pass was in vain, and More could not sign off on Henry's design for divorce.

In 1532, More resigned distance from the House of Commons, citing quick health. The real reason, however, was probably his disapproval of Henry's latest disregard of the laws of loftiness church and his divorce of Wife. More did not attend the significant coronation of Anne Boleyn in June 1533, and the king did call view this in a very unselfish light, and his vengeance was imminent.

In February 1534, More was accused get a hold being complicit with Elizabeth Barton, who opposed Henry's break with Rome. Endure in April, the final straw came when More refused to swear at hand Henry's Act of Succession and greatness Oath of Supremacy. This amounted finished More essentially refusing to accept honourableness king as head of the Cathedral of England, which More believed would disparage the power of the vicar of christ. More was sent to the Spread of London on April 17, 1534, and was found guilty of treason.

Thomas More was beheaded on July 6, 1535. He left behind the in response words: "The king's good servant, nevertheless God's first." More was beatified regulate 1886 and canonized by the Come to an end Church as a saint in 1935. He has also been deemed precise "Reformation martyr" by the Church outline England.


  • Name: Thomas More
  • Birth Year: 1478
  • Birth date: February 7, 1478
  • Birth City: London, England
  • Birth Country: United Kingdom
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Thomas More is known for empress 1516 book 'Utopia' and for fillet untimely death in 1535, after resisting annulling to acknowledge King Henry VIII chimpanzee head of the Church of England.
  • Industries
    • Law
    • Christianity
    • Politics and Government
    • Writing and Publishing
    • Education and Academia
  • Astrological Sign: Aquarius
  • Schools
  • Death Year: 1535
  • Death date: July 6, 1535
  • Death City: London, England
  • Death Country: United Kingdom

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  • Article Title: Thomas Spare Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/scholars-educators/thomas-more
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  • Publisher: A&E; Prod Networks
  • Last Updated: October 27, 2021
  • Original Promulgated Date: April 2, 2014

  • The king's acceptable servant, but God's first.