A Man For All Seasons

Alice, Margaret, and Norfolk are looking for More. King Henry is about to arrive for a surprise visit, and More is nowhere to be found. Eventually, they find him returning from vespers. Norfolk and Alice scold More for not being ready for the King’s visit. King Henry enters and insists on no ceremony; his visit is informal, just “a passing fancy” (77). He has sailed his own boat down the river. More introduces Henry to Margaret. Henry has heard that Margaret is a scholar and speaks to her in Latin. Margaret’s Latin is better than Henry’s. He boasts that he is an excellent dancer and playfully threatens to wrestle Norfolk. Alice tells Henry that they will have a simple supper, and Henry is enthusiastic. He tells Margaret about some music he has composed. He and Margaret discuss Henry’s book, The Defence of the Seven Sacraments. Henry admits that More “had a hand in that” (79); More insists that he played a minor role in helping Henry with the book. Alice, Margaret, and Norfolk exit to prepare for dinner, leaving Henry and More to talk.