A Man for All Seasons Chapter Summary & Analysis - Act 1, Scene 5 Summary

Act 1, Scene 5 Summary

The common man gathers the robes of Cardinal Wolsey and places them in his basket. He then reads the cause of death. Wolsey has died of either a broken heart or pulmonary pneumonia. He died on the way to the Tower of London for a charge of High Treason. The common man goes on to say that Sir Thomas More, the new Chancellor, is more scholarly that Wolsey. Many people consider More to be a living Saint. The common man comments that his only problem is a "willful indifference to realities."

Act 1, Scene 5 Analysis

The common man is not in character at the beginning of this scene. His role is to relay the information regarding the death of Wolsey and the fact that More did succeed Wolsey as Lord Chancellor. Wolsey was charged with treason for his inability to secure a divorce for the king. Now that More has Wolsey's position, he will...
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