, Research Paper
In the play A Man For All Seasons by Robert Bolt the audience learns about the extraordinary life of Sir Thomas More. Sir Thomas is faced with a moral dilemma that will determine the outcome of his life. More, chancellor of England , and a strong Christian believer is forced to choose between his close friend, King Henry VIII, and the supreme lord his God. More is a man of moral integrity because he refuses to submit to external pressures to sign the oath condoning the Act of Supremacy. He follows his heart and soul in doing what he believes to be right no matter what the consequence.
More is told by King Henry VIII to sign the Act of Supremacy. The Act gives Henry VIII full authority over the Catholic Church and thus further distancing England from Rome, since the Pope would no longer be the head of the Church.
More has many objections to and reasons for not signing the oath. More believes that if he does what he is called to do rather than what he believes to be morally right then he will have made the wrong decision and in the end will have no positive effect. This is evident when More says ” I believe, when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties…they lead their country by a short route to chaos.”(Bolt, p 22).
Despite what many may think, More would rather not get involved or influence the life of the king concerning the divorce. To most people signing the oath is a minor thing. It is something that should be done to appease the King , despite personal beliefs. However, for More his decision to sign the oath must be based on his beliefs. If he were to sign the oath he would lose all self respect. The audience learns this when he says ” I neither could nor would rule my King. But there’s a little…little, area…where I must rule myself. It’s very little-less to him than a tennis court.”(Bolt, p 59).
More is a man of principles and he will not compromise these principles. According to Sir Thomas if a man is prepared to take an oath then he must stand by that oath. However, in this case the signing of the oath would compromise these principles and therefore he can not sign. He displays this view when he says, ” When a man takes an oath, Meg, he’s holding his own self in his own hands. Like water…” (Bolt, p 140) More goes on to explain that he can not doubt his soul. If he were to go against his moral conscience, in a sense he would be killing his soul, and without the soul there is nothing.
More’s conscience is extremely important to him. He could not live with himself if he were to go against his conscience. To sign the Act of Supremacy More must go against his conscience and that is something he can not do. This is easily understood when he says, ” It is not so, Master Cromwell- very and pure necessity for respect of my own soul.” (Bolt, p 153)
At one point, a long time friend of More, the Duke of Norfolk, tries to convince More to sign the oath. More responds to Norfolk by saying, ” And when we stand before God, and you are sent to Paradise for doing according to your conscience, and I am damned for not doing according to mine, will you come with me, for fellowship?” (Bolt, p 132). What More means by this is that he must do what he thinks is right because in the end God is his judge and he will face the ultimate consequences.
More never gives in to pressures. He does not sign the oath, and right up to his execution he believes he is doing the right thing. His final words perfectly sum up his reasons for not signing. He says to his executioner ” friend, be not afraid of your office. You send me to God.” (Bolt, p 162) Ultimately this means that he has made the right decision and is now going to a better place.
If someone feels so strongly about something and sincerely believes in their heart that it is right, such as More did, then the right decision is an easy one. Sir Thomas More thought about it and knew what he had to do. He would make no mistake about it. If his morals and principles are so strong then he made the right decision. Hopefully there will be more people like Sir Thomas More, people who will not compromise their values to appease someone else, people who will do what they believe to be right for the good of themselves and society.
Другие работы по теме:
James Hurst
’s Use Of Symbols To Create A Mood ( The Scarlet I Essay, Research Paper James Hurst’s Use of Symbols to Create a Mood. James Hurst effectively uses symbolism in the first paragraphs of his short stories to create a mood filled with despair, gloominess, life, and death.
Fall Back On Fitness Essay Research Paper
Fall Back On Fitness As we head into the cooler autumn months, we undoubtedly expect that the upcoming holiday seasons surrounding Thanksgiving, Halloween, and (yes, already) Christmas will lead to our spending more and more time indulging and less and less time keeping ourselves healthy and fit.
The Four Humors Essay Research Paper Medieval
The Four Humors Essay, Research Paper Medieval doctors had quite an understanding of the human anatomy, considering their lack of equipment and knowledge. Most doctors in medieval times were philosophers more than actual medical doctors as most people know them today. Much of the knowledge they did acquire may have only been speculation, but quite a bit of it was due to concentrated observation.
Abenaki Indians As Environmentalists Essay Research Paper
Many people are under a false impression that early Native Americans are the original environmentalists. This is an impression that many people share. The Abenaki tribes that resided in Maine from 3700 BP were not by our traditional definition, environmentalists. In fact they were far from ecologically sound.
Piranhas Essay Research Paper I am doing
Piranhas Essay, Research Paper I am doing my Biome report on an animal known as an piranha. Piranha?s are very interesting animals and I am going to tell you about
Bolt
’s “A Man For All Seasons”: Reasons For A Person’s Actions Essay, Research Paper Bolt’s “A Man For All Seasons”: Reasons for A Person’s Actions Reading about individuals whose ways of life are dramatically different
Mcsorley Essay Research Paper Marty McSorleyMarty McSorley
Mcsorley Essay, Research Paper Marty McSorley Marty McSorley was convicted of assult on Oct 6 1988. The assult happened on the ice one night with 3 seconds left in the game. When Brashear, the Canucks tough guy, was skating into his own end with back to McSorley. McSorley who has logged the equivalent to 21 + days in the penalty box in his 17 seasons, skated up behind Brashear and slashed at his upper body, the blade caught him in the side of the head.
Grass Essay Research Paper GrassI always like
Grass Essay, Research Paper Grass I always like to watch the grass grow, in summer is pretty green, but in winter is pretty ugly, and you could see really the difference, is because of the weather hot and cold. Now the grass is ugly is like brown, but in summer is very pretty and I al
Temperate Deciduous Forest Essay Research Paper Temperate
Temperate Deciduous Forest Essay, Research Paper Temperate Deciduous Forest Temperate deciduous forests are found in all of the continents except Antarctica. Temperate deciduous forests are most commonly found in eastern US, Europe, western Asia, parts of Australia, and Canada.
Temperate Deciduous Forests Essay Research Paper A
Temperate Deciduous Forests Essay, Research Paper A Deciduous forest is one in which plants shed their leafs in the fall. The trees change colors as the seasons cycle; the green leaves of summer give way to the bare branches of winter.
Nature Essay Research Paper In the essay
Nature Essay, Research Paper In the essay “Nature” by Ralph Waldo Emerson, he talks about the wonders of nature that are commonly overlooked by man. He sees these wonders every day and is desensitized to them. Emerson tells how the same things that we think as normal amaze a child. The first time children experience something they are dumbfounded, as we should be, yet nature stays overlooked.
Greek Mythology Essay Research Paper Since the
Greek Mythology Essay, Research Paper Since the days when man lived in caves and struggled to survive, he has wondered about the world that surrounds him. What makes the sun rise and set? Why are there seasons?
Autumn A Magnificent End Essay Research Paper
Autumn, in a deeper sense, is a magnificent ending to an era. Although all the leaves fall and the sun fails to shine for as long each day as it did during the summer, the death of the cycle of the living seasons is spectacular. It brings vibrant color, tolerable weather, and the promise that it will return again in the spring.
Mario Lemieux Essay Research Paper Mario LemieuxBorn
Mario Lemieux Essay, Research Paper Mario Lemieux Born: 1965 Mario Lemieux was born on October 5, 1965 in Montreal, Quebec. He had two brothers, Alain and Richard. They both also had talent in hockey, so when he was four years old, his parents sent him to the local hockey rink to learn how to skate. He was put under the watchful eye of Fernand Fichaud , Mr.
Babe Ruth Essay Research Paper Ruth Babe
Babe Ruth Essay, Research Paper Ruth, Babe George Herman "Babe" Ruth, b. Baltimore, Md., Feb. 6, 1895, d. Aug. 16, 1948, was one of professional baseball’s greatest sluggers and probably the
Pecola Essay Research Paper The Breedlove family
Pecola Essay, Research Paper The Breedlove family has moved from the rural south to urban Lorain, Ohio, and the displacement, in addition to grinding work conditions and poverty, contributes to the family’s dysfunction. Told from the perspectives of the adolescent sisters, Claudia and Frieda MacTeer, Morrison’s narrative weaves its way through the four seasons and traces the daughter’s (Pecola Breedlove) descent into madness.
Stars Essay Research Paper Bright Star Would
Stars Essay, Research Paper Bright Star, Would I were Steadfast as Thou Art Endymion (excerpts) The Eve of St. Agnes Fancy The Human Seasons Hyperion If by Dull Rhymes our English must be Chain’d
Pro Tips Of Hunting Essay Research Paper
Pro Tips The first hour of dawn and the last hour of dusk are magical and highly productive deer hunting times. The whitetail deer prefers the low-light periods surrounding sunrise and
A Man For All Seaons Essay Research
Paper A Man For All Seasons (A man Cannot Serve Two Masters) Neither Thomas More or the Common Man are able to serve two masters In the play A Man for All Seasons by Roger Bolt, The Spanish Ambassador Chapuys says to Steward, a role played by the common man, “No man can serve two masters?”(Bolt, 24). Within the play this statement is proven true for all the characters, especially for The Common Man and Sir Thomas More.
Thomas More- A Man For All
Seasons Essay, Research Paper Thomas More: A Man For All Seasons In A Man For All Seasons, Thomas More was found guilty of treason because he refused to support King Henry VIII’s decision to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon. The King sought this divorce because he wanted to marry his mistress, Anne Boleyne.
Absurd Heroes In A Man For All
Seasons And The Mission Essay, Research Paper Someone who is absurd is wildly illogical or inappropriate; ridiculous (Oxford English Dictionary). When we think of someone who is absurd we think of someone who would do things that we would think would be illogical . An absurd hero is someone who exemplifies the characteristics of a hero, but punishes them self by achieving acts that we would deem useless.
Sir Thomas More Essay Research Paper Thomas
Sir Thomas More Essay, Research Paper Thomas More In life, belief can be a very powerful thing, powerful enough to affect major choices. Believing is having faith in an idea, person, thing or religion. In Robert Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons, Sir Thomas More made many important choices the were affected by a belief in the religious theory that the Pope is the “Vicar of God” (the descendant of St.
The Lady Of Shallot Essay Research Paper
In Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s “The Lady of Shallot”, Tennyson describes the dispirited story of a reclusive woman, the Lady of Shallot, bound by a curse to weave a never-ending web. The curse includes the Lady of Shallot being forbidden to glance at the town of Camelot. Tennyson portrays the “magic web” that she weaves and relates them to images of seasons.
Earth Rotation Essay Research Paper The Earth
Earth Rotation Essay, Research Paper The Earth is rotating around an axis (called its rotational axis). Some objects rotate about a horizontal axis, like a rolling log. Some objects, such as a
Australia Essay Research Paper Did you know
Australia Essay, Research Paper Did you know that Australia is its own country and continent? It is also the world s smallest continent and largest island with an area of 7, 671, 930 sq km. It is said to be the oldest country in the world, but it was discovered last. Australia is one of the most interesting places on the earth, because it has everything.
Role Of The Common Man In A
Man For All Seasons Essay, Research Paper In most books, small roles are never very significant, but in A Man For All Seasons one of the characters proves this wrong. The common Man is an ordinary person who the audience can relate to. This ties in with one of the main idea of the play, human nature. The audience learns that the Common Man can jump into different roles and assume that characters identity.
A Beginning And End Essay Research Paper
A Beginning and End Gloria Skains English 101-10/ Perkins Comparison/Contrast A Beginning and End Thesis: There is a reason for all seasons, two of which are spring with
Pete Rose Essay Research Paper Should a
Pete Rose Essay, Research Paper Should a man who has over 4256 hits be kept from the Hall of Fame because he bet on a few baseball games? The hits leader in major league baseball is banned from baseball,
Sir Thomas More Essay Research Paper Man
Sir Thomas More Essay, Research Paper Man For All Seasons Essay In the play, A Man For All Seasons, Sir Thomas More is faced with a number of difficult choices, namely whether to support the King’s decision to divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn and the consequences of that decision. More makes his decision to oppose the marriage early on, but even though it is something he does not waver from, he still has trouble with it, especially when he see the pain it causes to his wife and family.
Micheal Jordan Essay Research Paper Michael
Micheal Jordan Essay, Research Paper Michael Jordan Michael Jordan is an American Professional Basketball Player . I picked Michael for my biography because I consider him to be
Seasons
Everybody knows that there are four seasons in a year and every season is good on its own way with its own charm. Consider autumn for example. In September and November it is still warm and the sun shines brightly in the blue cloudless sky.