Satire and Ambiguity in Thomas More's Utopia

Abstract

Since its publication in 1516, Thomas More's Utopia caused confusion amongst literary critics and scientists. This essay is an attempt to explain the problem of interpretation in More’s novel and to show its ambiguity. By comparing earlier interpretations to each other, to the text itself and to our knowledge about More, the essay aims to clarify More's intention to leave Utopia open for individual interpretation and to encourage critical thinking in sixteenth-century England.