The Oath of Succession: More’s Defiance at Paul’s Cross
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Cromwell reveals the forthcoming Bill of Succession, requiring an oath recognizing Anne as Henry's lawful wife and their children as heirs. He urges More to take the oath and dispel any doubt about his loyalty, emphasizing England's break with Rome.
More deflects Cromwell's urging and questions the necessity of an oath, then observes Barton's apparent enjoyment of the attention. Cromwell's attempt to persuade More further is met with resistance.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Calculated patience masking frustration at More’s defiance; exudes confidence but simmers with underlying tension.
Thomas Cromwell stands near the shackled penitents at Paul’s Cross, his posture exuding calculated control as he watches Thomas More approach. He frames the charges against Elizabeth Barton and her followers with bureaucratic precision—treason for the leaders, imprisonment and fines for the accessories—while subtly shifting the conversation to the Bill of Succession. His dialogue is a masterclass in manipulation: he invokes Henry VIII’s volatility (‘those claws’) as a warning, then pivots to the oath, positioning it as a matter of national unity. When More resists, Cromwell extends a dinner invitation, only to be rebuffed with a remark that exposes his own tactics. His emotional state is one of calculated patience, masking his frustration at More’s defiance.
- • To secure Thomas More’s compliance with the oath, thereby legitimizing the Bill of Succession and consolidating Henry VIII’s authority.
- • To intimidate More into submission by invoking Henry’s volatility and the regime’s power, while maintaining a veneer of reasonableness.
- • Loyalty to the Crown must be absolute and enforceable, even through coercion.
- • Dissent, even moral, is a threat to the stability of the Tudor dynasty and must be suppressed.
Resolute and morally indignant, with a surface calm that belies his internal tension and disdain for Cromwell’s tactics.
Thomas More pushes through the crowd at Paul’s Cross, his presence commanding yet weary, as he confronts Cromwell near the shackled penitents. He engages in a verbal sparring match, first questioning the framing of the charges against Barton and her followers, then probing the necessity of the oath. His tone is mildly sarcastic when he observes Barton ‘enjoying the attention,’ a barb that underscores his disdain for the regime’s theatricality. He rebuffs Cromwell’s dinner invitation with a cutting remark—‘I think you’d like to put words there too’—exposing the manipulation behind the offer. His departure is solitary and unyielding, signaling his refusal to be complicit in the regime’s coercion.
- • To resist Cromwell’s pressure to swear the oath, thereby preserving his moral integrity and refusing to legitimize the regime’s coercive measures.
- • To expose the hypocrisy and manipulation behind the Bill of Succession and the oath, using sarcasm and refusal as tools of resistance.
- • An oath sworn under coercion is morally void and cannot be binding.
- • The regime’s authority is illegitimate when it defies both divine and natural law, particularly in matters of marriage and succession.
Defiant in spirit but physically broken; her silence speaks volumes, embodying the regime’s suppression of dissent.
Elizabeth Barton stands barefoot and shackled at Paul’s Cross, her penance a public spectacle of humiliation orchestrated by Cromwell. She is observed by Thomas More, who mocks her ‘enjoyment of the attention,’ a remark that reduces her prophetic claims to mere theatrics. Her physical state—cold, restrained, and exposed—contrasts with the defiance implied by her earlier prophecies. Though she does not speak in this scene, her presence serves as a symbolic cautionary tale for those who challenge the Crown, her suffering a warning to dissenters.
- • To endure her punishment as a testament to her faith and prophecies, even in the face of public shaming.
- • To serve as a warning to others who might challenge the Crown, her suffering a silent rebuke to Cromwell’s authority.
- • Her prophecies are divinely inspired and morally just, even if the regime seeks to discredit them.
- • Suffering for one’s beliefs is a testament to their righteousness.
Deferential and detached; their silence is a survival mechanism in a climate of fear and oppression.
The Londoners at Paul’s Cross form a silent, anonymous crowd that witnesses the penance of Barton and her followers. Their presence is passive yet significant, as they serve as a collective audience to the regime’s display of power. They do not intervene or react visibly, their silence reflecting the oppressive atmosphere of Tudor London, where dissent is dangerous and obedience is the safest course. Their routine passage through the space underscores how political coercion permeates everyday life, normalizing the Crown’s authority.
- • To avoid drawing attention to themselves, thereby ensuring their safety in a climate of political repression.
- • To absorb the display of power as a reminder of the regime’s reach and the consequences of dissent.
- • Obedience to the Crown is the path of least resistance and greatest safety.
- • Public displays of coercion are a necessary part of maintaining order.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Bill of Succession is the legislative weapon Cromwell wields in this scene, a document designed to legitimize Anne Boleyn’s marriage to Henry VIII and secure the succession of their heirs. Cromwell unveils it as a fait accompli—‘it will pass’—and frames it as a matter of national unity, though its true purpose is to sever England’s ties to Rome and consolidate the Tudor dynasty’s power. The bill is not physically present in the scene, but its existence and implications are central to the confrontation with More. Cromwell uses it as a tool to pressure More into swearing an oath of loyalty, thereby testing his compliance and exposing the regime’s coercive tactics. The bill’s mention hangs in the air as a symbol of the regime’s authority and the moral compromises it demands.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Paul’s Cross is the stage for Cromwell’s public spectacle of power and coercion, a windswept platform in London where the shackled penitents—Elizabeth Barton and her followers—are paraded before the passing crowd. The location’s open-air design amplifies the theatricality of the moment, as the cold wind and public gaze serve to humiliate and subjugate the dissenters. Cromwell uses the space to pressure Thomas More into compliance, framing the oath as a matter of national unity while the shackled figures serve as a visual warning of the consequences of resistance. The crowd of Londoners, though silent, functions as a collective audience, their presence normalizing the regime’s display of authority. Paul’s Cross is not merely a backdrop; it is an instrument of state power, where moral and political battles are waged in plain sight.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Crown, embodied by Thomas Cromwell and his political maneuvering, is the antagonist force in this event, using Paul’s Cross as a stage to assert its authority. Cromwell acts as the regime’s enforcer, wielding the Bill of Succession and the oath as tools to secure loyalty and suppress dissent. The organization’s power is exerted through legal coercion, public spectacle, and veiled threats—most notably Cromwell’s invocation of Henry VIII’s volatility (‘those claws’). The Crown’s goals in this moment are twofold: to legitimize Anne Boleyn’s marriage and heirs through the bill, and to test and enforce the loyalty of figures like Thomas More. Its influence mechanisms include legislative control, public humiliation, and psychological pressure, all designed to consolidate the Tudor dynasty’s power and marginalize opposition.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Cromwell reveals the forthcoming Bill of Succession and pushes More to take the oath, revealing the significance of the bill. This motivates Audley and Riche attempt to pressure More but More refuses to take the oath."
"Cromwell reveals the forthcoming Bill of Succession and pushes More to take the oath, revealing the significance of the bill. This motivates Audley and Riche attempt to pressure More but More refuses to take the oath."
"Cromwell reveals the forthcoming Bill of Succession and pushes More to take the oath, revealing the significance of the bill. This motivates Audley and Riche attempt to pressure More but More refuses to take the oath."
Part of Larger Arcs
Key Dialogue
"THOMAS CROMWELL: *We’re putting forward a Bill of Succession, recognising Anne as Henry’s lawful wife and their children as the rightful heirs. If it passes, and it will, we’re going to seal the act with an oath.* THOMAS MORE: *What sort of legislation needs to be confirmed by an oath?*"
"THOMAS CROMWELL: *Take the oath. Put your loyalty beyond doubt.* THOMAS MORE: *I would if I thought you’d only put food in my mouth. But I think you’d like to put words there too.*"
"THOMAS CROMWELL: *You remember how you used to compare the king to a tamed lion? You can pet him, pull at his ears. But all the time you’re thinking—those claws, those claws...*"