Based on historical details almost to the smallest degree, it describes the rise and fall of Sir Thomas More, the Chancellor of England at the time when Henry VIII declared himself the Supreme Head of the Church of England. The king came into conflict with the Pope when he refused to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn.

More resigned, was tried, and was beheaded for his negative stance on the two aforementioned issues. The work had for many years been classified among the apocryphal works of Shakespeare, meaning works that may be by Shakespeare or may not; but now Shakespeare's contribution is widely accepted, as demonstrated by related Oxford editions: his text is included in the list of works to which the great poet has contributed and not in the list of apocryphal works contained in this edition.

It should be noted that this work is being translated into Greek for the first time.