Sir Thomas More (Annotated)

Sir Thomas More is an Elizabethan drama and a dramatic biography based on particular events in the life of the Catholic martyr Thomas More, who rose to become the Lord Chancelor of England during the Reign of Henry VIII. The play is considered to be written by Anthony Munday and Henry Chettle and revised by several writers. It is particularly notable for a three page handwritten revision that is considered by many scholars to be by William Shakespeare.  This play is not simply biographical, because, for example, significant facts of More’s life are not described: There is no mention of his literary career, his book Utopia, or the dispute between Henry VIII and the Pope in Rome. Also the life of More is at times expanded beyond what actually occurred and beyond the sources that were used, in order to suit the drama. What the play is about has been debated, but the issues revolve around obedience to the crown and rule of law, particularly when a populace becomes stirred up in an anti-alien fervor. Even More must obey; when he doesn’t he loses his life.
This edition has been formatted for your reader, with an active table of contents.  This version is also annotated, with additional information about the poem and William Shakespeare, such as an overview, characters, synopsis, information about the manuscript, authorship, performance history, biographical and bibliographical information.