Consider the general setting of Utopia. What general mood does it suggest? What do you think is the purpose of this passage? What do the references to bodies of water suggest about Utopia?

Okay, so if you think this primary/secondary stuff is kind of confusing, you can relax. The primary setting of Utopia is nice and simple: it's a city in Belgium called Antwerp and it takes place roughly in the year 1515. Within Antwerp, almost everything except the initial run-in happens in the garden of More's house. See? Simple.

Why Antwerp? Didn't More live in England? He did, but since Utopia is a story about travel, it does makes sense that More would want to set his story somewhere away from home. Even though he can't compete with the world traveling Hythloday is doing, he can show that being involved in Renaissance political and intellectual circles (as he was) means that travel is a part of day-to-day life.

It also shows that even though More works for the English King, he's still an internationally-minded person. Just because he has the interests of England close to his heart doesn't mean he isn't down with other countries. Hmmm, sounds rather different than the isolated island of Utopia, doesn't it?

Explanation:

to give the reader a sense of the chaos, fear, and havoc taking place

needs an explanation