A Man for All Seasons

Abstract

This thesis uses Stephen Greenblatt's take on New Historicism to analyze several works of fiction of the 20th and 21st Centuries in which a fictional reworking of Thomas More plays a part. The focus lies on Hilary Mantel's 2009 novel Wolf Hall. Its thesis statement: "Looking at different interpretations of Thomas More in contemporary culture, can the New Historicist approach be used to interpret these different representations of Thomas More as a character? And, subsequently, do these representations tell us more about More himself, as well as the author and his or her beliefs and cultural upbringing? Lastly, can a study of contemporary representations of Thomas More as a character be of use to shed light on the benefits of the New Historicist approach?"