Society of Utopia

Sir Thomas More’s Utopia has been labeled as “the first original story by a known Englishman.” This Englishman, Sir Thomas More, was a noted statesman, author, and Archbishop of Canterbury who boldly opposed the divorce and remarriage of the overbearing King Henry VIII and because of this was unjustly beheaded. This scholarly Englishman was well educated and greatly influenced by the Greeks in his writing. In his search for the best possible form of government, More imagined the subject of Utopia. First written in Latin in 1516 Utopia was then translated into English in 1551 after More’s death. Originally in Latin the title of this work meant “no place,” but after it was translated into English, scholars entitled it Utopia – a word which has come to mean “ideal or impractical.” More places himself in the story as a first person narrator, who along with two other characters, wants to solve the problems of the normal society, and they think they can do this through Utopia. Comparing ideals from realistic European society, Sir Thomas More shows in Utopia the social, political, and economical aspects from a perfect Utopian community.