MORAL GUIDANCE IN

A Man For All Seasons

Student: Josefina Lynch
Teacher: Alex Campos
Year: 2016

INTRODUCTION
* IN A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, SINCE THE BEGINNING

THERE ARE OPPOSING VIEWS AS REGARDS THE KINGS

DECISION OF SEPARATING FROM THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
AND MARRYING AGAIN.

* Thomas More, being a firm and adamant person has a

posture of not agreeing with this changes in England. He

maintains his stance through all the play.

* Cromwell calls himself the Kings Ear, meaning he is

willing to do anything Henry wants.

THOMAS MORE
* He is honest and self disciplined.
* He believes in the value of English law to protect the state.
* He remains a loyal Catholic and is executed for refusing to
swear an oath to the Act of Supremacy and Act of
Succession.
* He acts to defend his own conscience.
* In his preface to the play, Bolt calls More a hero of
selfhood. More refuses to sacrifice his self, which he
defines by his moral conscience, even as he sacrifices his
life.

CROMWELL
* Thomas Cromwell is an unscrupulous lawyer who was

Cardinal Wolseys secretary and then, after Wolseys death,

is promoted as counselor to the King.
* He is a very corrupt man, with Machiavellian ideas.
* He is able of doing whatever in order to get what the King
wants.
* He is also very ambitious.

RICHARD RICH
*Richard Rich is a scholar who is eager to find a mentor that

will put him in a high position.

But everyman has his price
*He has Machiavellian ideas
By these words it is evident that he is corrupt and inmoral.
Youre deteriorating
*More tries to make him change
Here, More means he is losing his moral and intellectual
capacity and becoming corrupt and ambitious, with the only
aim of achieving political job (office).
*In this attempt of More he suggests Rich to become a teacher,
as this is a good environment for working.
*More teaches by testing Rich by offering him the goblet,
letting Rich know that the goblet was a bribe and is therefore
tainted.

* Rich has two options, as regards moral

guidance:

1)
2)

Thomas More
Cromwell

In Act 1, Scene 6, Bolt shows that Rich is in contact with

Cromwell and they have an exchange in which they discuss
their present fortures, jobs and growth in position.
CROMWELL

RICHAR RICH

PAST

Wolseys
Secretary

Nothing

PRESENT

IMPROVED!!
Kings Ear

Duke of Norfolks
Librarian

* In Act 1, Scene 7, Rich gives More a last chance to

employ him and to be on his side.

* Rich comes to Chelsea to warn More that Cromwell

and Chapuys are asking for information about him.

RICHS CHOICE
* In Act 1, Scene 10, Richs choice as regards his moral is

shown.
* He decides to follow Cromwell, and as a consequence,
choosing corruption and inmoral.
* Despite himself, becomes Cromwells sycophant.
* He has moral quails about plotting against More.
* Bolt embodies in Rich the constant dilema of ambitious
people; whether to do evil or remain good in the quests
for power and richness.
* In Act 2, he works his way up the political ladder, under
the tutelage of Cromwell to become Attorney General
for Wales in exchange for lying in court to convict More.

WELL WEAVE ONE FOR HI,

SHALL WE, YOU AND I?
*

Through these words said by Cromwell the

alliance in between Rich and Cromwell is
portrayed. It also illustrates the theme of
corruption which is something that they both
share. The position of Rich as a sycophant is
also shown.

WHICH SIDE IS CHOSEN

BY COMMON PEOPLE?
* As regards common people, on the play it is

represented by the Common Man, who plays various

small parts, Mores servant, a publican, a boatman,
Mores jailer, jury foreman and executioner.
* As the play moves forward, the Common Man changes
of position.
* He starts working for More and being loyal to him.
* He gets more in the position of being in favour of the
Kings decision.
* He finishes killing More.

BETTER A LIVE RAT THAN A DEAD LION

LION

RAT

King of beasts

Insignificant

Brave

Cowardly

Symbol of England

Insignificant

Strength

Dirty

Through this animal metaphor said by the Common Man, it is

expressed that it is better to be alive and insulted or considered
cowardly but alive, instead of being considered brave and die.
Common People chose to survive and live as rats instead of
deffending Thomas More. They knew he was not guilty.

PEOPLE DONT CHOSE

MORE WHY?
* Most people prefer to live even without their

integrity.
* Following More meant a menace and probably
those who followed him would have been
killed.
* People dont want to be associated with More,
because there was a policy againt him

To More, a mans
conscience is his self, so
he refuses to betray his
own conscience even on
pain of death.