Reading the Frame Why does More present Utopia through Hythloday's account rather than describing it directly himself? What does the character 'More' actually say in response to Hythloday's account, and how skeptical is he? Why open the book with a real, specific critique of Tudor England (enclosure, theft, capital punishment) before ever reaching Utopia itself? What is the effect of the pun in 'Utopia' — does the book want you to believe the commonwealth is achievable?
The Commonwealth How does the abolition of money and private property reorganize everything else about Utopian life? What does Utopia's treatment of slavery reveal about the limits of Hythloday's — and More's — imagined equality? Why does Utopia restrict travel and private space so tightly, and how does Hythloday justify it? What does the book's account of Utopian religion suggest about More's own views on faith and toleration?