The play begins with the Common Man on the stage who gives the audience a prologue. He calls himself Adam before going to a table and unpacking everything he has in a basket. Then, the scene shifts to two other characters, Thomas More and Richard Rich who argue whether a man can be bought with financial riches. More asks Rich weather he read a certain book about corruption and he admits that it was recommended to him by another person, Thomas Cromwell. They soon discover that Thomas is an acquaintance to both of them and that he had promised both of them to help them advance in their career. Also, while More considers Rich a friend, Rich only sees More as another person who can help him advance in his field. More is also saddened to see that everyone in their society can be bought so easily and shows Rich a cup he was given as a bribe. Claiming that just holding onto the cup made him feel uncomfortable he gave to cup to Rich who accepted it easily and even told More that he will sell the cup and buy himself fancy clothes.
Next, the Duke of Norfolk and Alice, More’s wife enter on stage. They talks about the book The Prince and when they spot the other two men the Duke announces that Cromwell was promotes to the position of Secretary for the Cardinal. Then, More is called to the Cardinal’s office and he leaves immediately.
After Rich leaves, More is criticized for his willingness to give away his possessions and the Steward notes that one day he will eventually find something that he would like to keep.
At the Cardinal’s office, Thomas finds that the King asked the Pope to annulled his marriage so he can marry again another woman but the Pope refused. The Cardinal however argued that it was extremely important for the King to remarry as the King’s first wife was unable to have children. More hints that he us against the divorce but the Cardinal tries to convince him that a divorce is necessary for the future of the country. More also tells the Cardinal that he believes Thomas Cromwell to be a bad decision for the next Cardinal.
The scene then changes and More is sitting on the edge of the river, waiting for a boat to take him home. Cromwelll appears out of the shadows and begins to talk with More. Then Chapuys appears, a diplomat from Spain and More lets it be understood that he is against the divorce of the King and Catherine.
Then More is taken home and there he finds his daughter still awake and with her suitor. Will, the suitor, asks for Margaret’s hand in marriage but More refuses, calling Will a heretic. The two continue to discuss for some time and then Will leaves. Soon after, a man comes in to announce that the Chancellor died and that More was appointed the new Chancellor.
The scene changes once more and Rich and Cromwell meet in the palace. The two talk for a while and Cromwell points out how Rich rose to power in a short period of time. Then, the Chapuys comes with his attendant and join the conversation. They talk about More and how the King will try and persuade him to accept to legally separate himself from his wife. While Rich claims that More will never agree because of his principles, Cromwell points out that More is just a man and he can be influenced easily.
More’s steward also comes in and both Rich and Cromwell try to talk with him in private about More and how he reacted when he found he will be the next Chancellor. The Steward tells the men that More is worried and that he spends most of his time praying. The Steward is careful not to reveal too much information and the other characters leave the stage angry.
Inside More’s house, everyone except More prepares for the King’s visit. The King arrives in a boat and everyone acts as if they were not expecting a visit from him. More and the King start talking about religion and how the King felt constrained by the late Chancellor. Then they talk about the King’s marriage and the King admits that he sinned and slept with another woman who was not his wife. Thus, he concludes that his marriage is no longer a legitimate one and asks to be divorced. More refuses to get involved and claims that it is better for the Catholic Church to decide whether the King can divorce his wife or not. The King advises More to think about the matter and be careful what he speaks as everything that goes against the King’s wishes will be considered treason. He also promises to help More advance politically is he helps him before leaving with the same boat he came.
Alice urges More not to go against the King’s wishes and to do everything he can to please him. Will also comes in and tells More that the King became interested in him because of his religious views. Rich also comes and begs More to employ him and use him. Both Will and Rich point out that More uses the law as a protect and considers it as being above God but he refuses to admit that.
The scene then moves to a pub where Cromwell and Rich meat and talk about More. Cromwell tries to bribe Rich into helping him secure a divorce for the King and Rich lets it be understood that he is willing to do everything as long as he is paid well.
The second act takes place two years after the first one and after the Church of England was created. The scene then shifts to More who is sitting at a desk and to Will pacing in front of him with a cross around his neck. More also became more willing to allow the King to divorce his wife and this made many people unhappy with him. When a man enters the room announcing that the country broke from the Catholic Church and Rome, More decided to resign from his position as Chancellor and even asked Margaret to help him take off his chain.
At the palace, Cromwell and Rich talk about More and his decision and the repercussion of his decision. Then they talk how they can influence More and Rich mentions the time when More accepted a cup as a bribe. Even though he gave the cup to Rich almost immediately they still believed they will be able to use the event in their favor. Cromwell urges Norfolk to persecute More into siding with them but he refuses initially.
After More refused to go against the King he became much more poorer and he was forced to let his servants go as he became incapable of paying them. Some people think that since More refused to support the King and his new religion he was against England as well but More continued to claim that he was loyal to the King. More also refused to accept help from the Church thinking that it will incriminate him and put his family in danger.
Cromwell meets with the Duke of Norfolk and tells him of his plan to bring More up on bribery charges. Norfolk proves that More gave the cup to Rich as soon as More realized it was a bribe, and Cromwell is forced to come up with some other way to entrap More. He tells Norfolk, however, that the king expects him to participate in the persecution of More.
A now impoverished More refuses to receive a letter of appreciation from the king of Spain, and he turns down the bishops’ sincere offer of charity. Cromwell calls More to his office and attempts to malign More by accusing him of sympathizing with the Holy Maid of Kent, who was executed for treason. Cromwell also accuses him of having written a book attributed to King Henry. More deconstructs both these charges, but when Cromwell reads a letter from King Henry calling More a villain, More is genuinely shaken. Meeting Norfolk outside, More insists that if he wishes to remain in the king’s favor, Norfolk should cease to be his friend, since by this point it is dangerous to know a man like More. Parliament passes another act, this time requiring subjects to swear an oath to King Henry’s supremacy in England over the Church and to the validity of his divorce and remarriage. The next time we see More, he is in jail for having refused to take the oath.
Cromwell, Norfolk, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, interrogate More in prison, but they cannot trick him into signing the oath or divulging his opinions on the king’s behavior. As long as More refuses to talk or sign the oath, Cromwell can keep him locked up but cannot have him executed. He removes More’s books but lets his family visit, hoping that they will be able to reason with him. Though More’s daughter, Margaret, tries to convince her father he has done all he can, More refuses to relent. Alice finally sympathizes fully with More’s predicament, and, displaying their full love toward each other, they reconcile just before the jailer (the Common Man) insists that the visit is over.
Cromwell gives Rich the office of attorney general for Wales in exchange for Rich’s false testimony at More’s trial. Though More never opened his mouth, Rich claims he heard More deny the king’s authority over the Church. More is sentenced to death but not before he can express his disapproval of the Supremacy Act and his disappointment with a government that would kill a man for keeping quiet. More goes to his death with dignity and composure, and the play ends with his beheading.
