The Story Archive

A Man for All Seasons

Fred Zinnemann · 1966 CE · Film · English · Contemporary

Henry VIII wants his marriage annulled and his Lord Chancellor's signature on the oath that would make it lawful, and the chancellor answers by saying nothing at all, resigning his office and standing on the silence the law allows him. Friends, family and a young man refused a place at court close the space around him. Robert Bolt's argument about conscience and the letter of the law took six Academy Awards.

Open A Man for All Seasons in the archive — filters, lineage graph and full facet browsing.

Attributes

Genre
HistoricalTragedyPolitical
Theme
Duty & HonorFaith & DoubtIndividual vs SocietyLegitimacySacrifice
Archetype (Jung / Campbell)
Tragic HeroVillain / TyrantRuler / King
Plot structure
TrialTragic ReversalChronicle
Symbol / motif
The TrialThe CrownThe River
Conflict
vs Societyvs Person
Mode / tone
RealistTragicElegiac
Culture / tradition
English

Closest analogues