Henry VIII trusts Sir Thomas More because he can count on his unswerving loyalty and incorruptibility. While other courtiers shamelessly abuse their positions of power and influence to line their pockets, Sir Thomas maintains standards of integrity that are almost without parallel in the cutthroat world of Tudor politics.

But what initially attracts Henry to Sir Thomas eventually repels him and causes an irreparable breach in their personal and professional relationship. In the wake of Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon, what was once such a huge asset to Sir Thomas—his honesty and integrity—has now become a fatal handicap. His inability to accept the divorce and Henry's subsequent breach with Rome puts him on a collision course with the king that will end in his execution as a traitor.

Although the relationship between the two men may have changed, the one thing that hasn't is Sir Thomas More's honesty. But as the king has no further need for it, he unhesitatingly sends his former friend and loyal counselor to the block.