Sir Thomas More: Late middle-aged.  More is a devout Catholic, scholar, lawyer, and statesman.  Bolt describes More as a hero of “selfhood” – a man who feels that if he betrays his conscience, he will lose his sense of self and place his mortal soul in peril.  His demise is not the act of a martyr but is engineered by Cromwell who does not share More’s reverence for integrity and obeying the letter of the law.  More is never dogmatic in his beliefs.  He is humane, compassionate, and witty but can be sharp-tongued at times.

The Common Man: Middle-aged.  An ingenious dramatic device and so much more.  On the surface his role would appear to be as narrator/commentator and scene-setter but he interacts with the other characters in the play in a variety of roles.  The Common Man lacks any sense of self, but he is a survivor and provides one of the many contrasts to More’s integrity which is a major theme of the play.

Alice More: Late middle-aged.  Like the Duke of Norfolk, Alice is bewildered by her husband’s obduracy and his willingness to plunge the household into penury rather than surrender his principles.  She is of the merchant class and is no intellectual.  She is perplexed by the intricacies of the affairs of state and is anchored to her role as loyal wife.  In extremis she shows she has the heart of a lion.

Margaret Roper (neé More): In her twenties.  A beautiful girl and very close to her father, whom she adores.  She is an accomplished scholar in her own right, but is possessed of a charming naiveté.  She shelters behind a stillness that is put to the test with her father’s arrest.

Richard Rich: Late twenties.  Part of the company which follows More at the start of the play.  He is an academic and filled with self-doubt.  When More refuses to rescue Rich from himself, he follows a different path and becomes Cromwell’s instrument to ensnare More.  His lack of scruples enables him to rise in status and he stands in stark contrast to Sir Thomas.

The Duke of Norfolk: Middle-aged.  Outdoor type and a powerful nobleman, aware of his own importance.  Charming and blustering, forthright and honest.  Norfolk does not pretend to understand the complexities of affairs of state.  A loyal friend.

William Roper: Late twenties to thirties.  At first suitor and then husband to Margaret.  Morally scrupulous at the outset.  His dogmatic and inconstant approach to his religious beliefs irks and amuses More.  Essentially a good person, but even he is prepared to compromise his principles when push comes to shove.

Thomas Cromwell: A little younger than More perhaps. The antagonist in the play, he is ruthless in his pursuit of Sir Thomas.  He is a student of Machiavelli and believes the means, however unsavoury, justify the ends.  In assisting the King in his divorce from Queen Catherine, he aspires to the high office from which More has been obliged to resign.

Chapuys: Late middle-age.  The Spanish ambassador is a career diplomat and ostentatiously religious – a man dressed in black.  He is also a meddling spy who completely fails to understand More’s principled stand.  Subtle he is not.

SMALLER ROLES

Cardinal Wolsey: Old and decaying in body.  A beautiful one scene cameo role.  Lord Chancellor of England, he has an intellect that rivals More’s, but has failed to satisfy the King in the matter of a second marriage.  He is more a politician than a man of the cloth – the one who passes on the poisoned chalice to Sir Thomas

Henry VIII: Late twenties.  Another delicious one scene cameo.  A far cry from the bloated, self-indulgent despot of later years.  Here is a young man at the height of his physical and intellectual powers.  He is witty and handles his absolute power with likeable aplomb; however, there are hints of the bombast that will undermine his character in later life.

Thomas Cranmer: Historically a man in his forties but could be played older.  Leader of the English reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during Henry VIII’s reign.  An ecclesiastical administrator, mechanically religious.

A woman: Mature.  Bitter and vindictive

Chapuys’ attendant: Late teens.  (May be cut from the script if a suitable youngster is not available.)  Eagerly ingenuous.