Cardinal Wolsey Character Analysis in A Man for All Seasons

Thomas Wolsey is a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Lord Chancellor, an adviser to the King. When England was a part of the Catholic Church he served as a liaison between the King and the Pope. He likes Thomas More, but finds his refusal to cooperate with the King frustrating. Bolt describes Wolsey as being incredibly smart, incredibly ambitious, and incredibly unhappy. Although he was eventually accused of treason, he died before he could be tried and executed.

Cardinal Wolsey Quotes in A Man for All Seasons

The A Man for All Seasons quotes below are all either spoken by Cardinal Wolsey or refer to Cardinal Wolsey. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Wolsey: It’s a devious situation.
More: There must be something simple in the middle of it. (Again this is not a moral dictum; it is said rather wistfully, as of something he is beginning to doubt)
Wolsey: I believe you believe that. You’re a constant regret to me, Thomas. If you could just see the facts flat on, without that horrible moral squint; with just a little common sense, you could have been a statesman.

Related Characters: Cardinal Wolsey (speaker), Sir Thomas More (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 19

Explanation and Analysis:

Cardinal Wolsey has called Thomas More to his office to discuss a letter Wolsey is writing to Rome. Wolsey hopes to get the Pope’s approval for the King’s divorce from Catherine. Wolsey has purposefully appointed an incompetent ambassador to Rome so that he can sidestep him and write directly to Cardinals and other high-ranking figures in the Church, even though it is not technically his job. More considers both Wolsey’s behavior and the King’s request for a divorce to be devious. A devout Catholic, he believes divorce to be wrong, and the Pope to be right. Unfortunately he is also Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Volup

Well…I believe, when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties…they lead their country by a short route to chaos.

Related Characters: Sir Thomas More (speaker), Cardinal Wolsey

Page Number and Citation: 22

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote comes from a conversation between Thomas More and Cardinal Wolsey. The King wants to divorce his wife, and while Wolsey is happy to make this wish a reality, More has reservations. Wolsey is frustrated that, in his mind, More is privileging his “private conscience” over the fate of the country, as Wolsey thinks that privately held beliefs have no place in politics. In contrast, More argues that a country should be built upon the private consciences of statesmen. These moral compasses, he thinks, will guarantee a lawful, ethical, organized nation, whose citizens are safe physically and spiritually. And Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis

Cardinal Wolsey Character Timeline in A Man for All Seasons

The timeline below shows where the character Cardinal Wolsey appears in A Man for All Seasons. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...of Thomas Cromwell, Norfolk reveals to the group that Cromwell has been promoted to the Cardinal’s Secretary. Everyone is shocked. Alice asks, “a farrier’s son?” but Norfolk reminds her that the... (full context)

Conscience, Integrity, and Reputation Theme Icon

The Steward enters with a letter summoning More to the Cardinal’s office, although it is now eleven at night. As More leaves he sees that Rich... (full context)

The scene changes, and Cardinal Wolsey and Thomas More meet in Wolsey’s office. It is now past one in the... (full context)

More and Wolsey hear the trumpet announcing the King. He’s returning from an evening with his mistress, Anne... (full context)

Wolsey acknowledges More’s right to his own conscience, but points out that as a statesman, he... (full context)

Wolsey asks More who should be the next Cardinal. More suggests a man named Tunstall, but... (full context)

...from behind an arch on the stage. He’s on his way to talk to the Cardinal, but clearly been listening to More’s conversation. He wonders if More left the Cardinal in... (full context)

Alice wakes up and joins More and Margaret. The two women want to know why Wolsey called More to meet. They tell More that Norfolk thinks More will be Chancellor if... (full context)

...who came to the castle to hunt with the King. Cromwell comments on changing fortunes; Wolsey was once high-powered but died a traitor, and Rich, once a political unknown, is rising... (full context)

Henry and More discuss the late Cardinal Wolsey. More comments that Wolsey was “a statesman of incomparable ability.” Henry argues that because... (full context)

Cardinal Wolsey Character Analysis

Cardinal Wolsey Quotes in A Man for All Seasons

Act 1 Quotes

Cardinal Wolsey Character Timeline in A Man for All Seasons