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Thomas More is simultaneously a historical personage, the author of Utopia, and a character in it—but the author’s resemblance to the character doesn’t mean the two are the same. In the work, More visits Antwerp while on a diplomatic mission on behalf of King Henry VIII of England, and there he befriends Peter Giles and Raphael Hythloday; More’s record of the discussion he has with these two men in his garden makes up the book Utopia. More is an intelligent, curious man, dutifully committed to his family and public service, and also is a practical believer in plain speech. He has faith that wise counselors in the service of kings can improve society—a point on which he and Hythloday disagree. After Hythloday concludes his discourse on Utopia, More thinks to himself that many of that commonwealth’s laws and policies are not founded on good reason, especially the abolition of private property and money. Nonetheless, he wishes for many features of Utopian society to be realized in Europe’s cities, though he doesn’t dare hope as much, for such a hope would be unrealistic. That More the historical author should invent Utopia only for More the character to criticize it suggests how deeply ambiguous the text is as a whole.
Thomas More Quotes in Utopia
The Utopia quotes below are all either spoken by Thomas More or refer to Thomas More. 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:
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Book 1
Quotes
Nothing is more easy to be found than barking Scyllas, ravening Calaenos, and Laestrygons, devourers of people, and suchlike great and incredible monsters. But to find citizens ruled by good and wholesome laws, that is an exceeding rare and hard thing.
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This school philosophy is not unpleasant among friends in familiar communication, but in the council of kings, where great matters be debated and reasoned with great authority, these things have no place.
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It is not possible for all things to be well unless all men were good.
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Book 2: Conclusion
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As I cannot agree and consent to all things that he [Hythloday] said…so must I needs confess and grant that many things be in the Utopian weal-public which in our cities I may rather wish for than hope after.
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Get the entire Utopia LitChart as a printable PDF.
Thomas More Quotes in Utopia
The Utopia quotes below are all either spoken by Thomas More or refer to Thomas More. 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:
).
Book 1
Quotes
Nothing is more easy to be found than barking Scyllas, ravening Calaenos, and Laestrygons, devourers of people, and suchlike great and incredible monsters. But to find citizens ruled by good and wholesome laws, that is an exceeding rare and hard thing.
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Explanation and Analysis:
This school philosophy is not unpleasant among friends in familiar communication, but in the council of kings, where great matters be debated and reasoned with great authority, these things have no place.
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It is not possible for all things to be well unless all men were good.
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Book 2: Conclusion
Quotes
As I cannot agree and consent to all things that he [Hythloday] said…so must I needs confess and grant that many things be in the Utopian weal-public which in our cities I may rather wish for than hope after.
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