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November 08, 2005
Integrity, etc.
Bolt, A Man for All Seasons -- Drama as Literature (EL 250)
A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt
“MORE: We speak of being anchored to our principles. But if the weather turns nasty you up with an anchor and let it down where there's less wind, and the fishing's better.”
The theme is about sticking to your morals in the face of adversity, and using your own personal conscience to make decisions. Sir Thomas More was not blinded by ideologies and refused to accept the values of others as his own. More says that he holds his integrity, which is like water in his hands. He keeps his principles despite everything that happens to him – pressure from Cromwell, job, prison, and his life. This is why More is a “man for all seasons” – he is not affected by the terrible changes in his life.
More has a lot of integrity and is very morally centered. His first duty is to God. God is the reason why More won’t submit to the King's desires because he believes them to be sinful. He talks about the laws of God and how he refuses to break them.
His other duty is to country. Spain offers More a refuge if he will publicly announce his support for the Pope. He doesn’t accept the offer because he is patriotic to his country and can’t be bought or bribed. I think the conflict is: in which value does More hold more loyalty towards – God or his country.
Posted by Kayla Sawyer at November 8, 2005 02:36 PM
Comments
Good catch Kayla. (Hehe, catch, "fishing"...I know, I'm just killing you with the corniness aren't I? Forgive me.) What you point out is something I admire about More. He certainly is loyal to God and Country and he isn't swayed by others. But, you're right this can very easily cause a conflict.
Another thing I admire about More is that he seems to be a very good judge of character. He can really point out people's flaws and hold them out in front of their face so they can see themselves as others do. But, he does it in tactful way.
Posted by: Lorin Schumacher at November 8, 2005 11:21 PM