In Robert Bolt's play A Man for All Seasons, Sir Thomas More stands at a moral crossroads. More has been a loyal subject of the English crown, supporting his king in both civil and ecclesiastical matters. Now, however, King Henry VIII is engaged in a devious plan that pits his own desires against those of the church. In order to pull off his scheme, Henry requires all his nobles to swear to him a personal oath of allegiance. Because the terms of the oath violate More’s conscience before his God, he refuses and is arrested and jailed.