Sir Thomas More

A. D. Cousins (Macquarie University)
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Thomas More (1478?-1535) was exceptionally gifted as a writer, scholar and lawyer. Witty, sociable and successful, he was also a profoundly religious man of devout and austere personal habits. He is now best remembered as a martyr of the Catholic Church (he was canonized in 1935) and as the author of

Utopia

(1516), which gave its name to a literary genre and is still widely read and imitated. More began to write while receiving a humanist education at Oxford (c.1492). After Oxford, More studied law in London and was admitted to the Bar (1501). As a lawyer, writer, politician, and servant of King Henry VIII, More had a brilliant career. He was, for example, twice elected to parliament, was knighted in 1521, and ultimately became Lord Chancellor in 1529. By that time he had won an…

2325 words

Citation: Cousins, A. D.. "Sir Thomas More". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 07 October 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3193, accessed 29 March 2024.]

3193 Sir Thomas More 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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