Just a reminder to the universe at large that Mantel's accusations against "Saint" Sir Thomas are not new:
Rumours circulated during and after More's lifetime regarding ill-treatment of heretics during his time as Lord Chancellor. The popular anti-Catholic polemicist John Foxe, who "placed Protestant sufferings against the background of... the Antichrist" was instrumental in publicising accusations of torture in his famous Book of Martyrs, claiming that More had often personally used violence or torture while interrogating heretics. Later authors, such as Brian Moynahan and Michael Farris, cite Foxe when repeating these allegations.
-- Michael Farris,From Tyndale to Madison, 2007.
We do know that More imprisoned heretics in his own home, and we know that during his Chancellorship heretics were burned alive. The denials of More's defenders thus ring rather hollow. There were trustworthy gaols in England. Of what possible purpose could their captivity under his personal supervision have served, if not for his perverse sadistic pleasure? Arguments that More was a delicate soul who could not have done such a thing might satisfy those whose knowledge of More is limited to Robert Bolt's fiction [every bit as fictional as Mantel's] but will not satisfy anyone who has actually read his vile exchanges with Luther and Tyndale.
The "saint" had a very nasty streak. Pointing that out is neither "anti-Catholic bigotry" nor is it a revision of history.
So I suppose it’s okay with you that Tyndale is also demonized as a fanatic in this new production as well. Also, if you want to read some really vile writings, try to find translations of Luther’s later works. They are so detestable that there has never been any real effort to translate them from the original German. He was a blasphemous pig.
“Of what possible purpose could their captivity under his personal supervision have served, if not for his perverse sadistic pleasure?”
Are you kidding? Thomas More - like other men of his age - often kept prisoners close by for the most obvious of reasons” to keep an eye on them, gather information from them, and to convert them if possible. There is no hint whatsoever of “perverse sadistic pleasure”.