NON-AFRICAN DRAMA
ROBERT BOLT: A Man For All Seasons
How does Thomas More demonstrate moral uprightness in the play?
Explanation
Thomas More believes that one's conscience should guide one's actions. This is against the belief of people like Cromwell and Norfolk who accept that there should be no contrary views to what the state dictates. To Thomas More, the desire of the king to divorce his wife Catherine and marry Anne Boley borders on personal wish. He believes in the authority that instituted the monarchy and placed it under the church. He sees the king's desperation to enlist the support of all the nobles in his bid to divorce Catherine as immoral. As King Henry wishes to have his dynasty continued through a male heir which Catherine has not been able to produce, the resultant conflict becomes the litmus test of the moral uprightness of the characters around him.
To achieve this aim, the king plans to sever England's link with the church of Rome and become the supreme head of the church of England. This, however, can only be possible if the nobles sign the 'Latin Dispatch'. Cardinal Wolsey fails 'to convince Thomas More against his conscience. Wolsey's death partly as a result of his failure to get More to sign the 'Latin Dispatch' does not weaken More. With the death of Wolsey, More is made the Lord Chancellor - a political appointment to get him on the king's side - but More is not shaken. Despite the pressure mounted on Thomas More from all angles including the king's visit to his house, he still stands his ground. Thomas More's steward, Matthew is bribed to spy on him. Other notable officials like Norfolk and Cromwell try in vain to persuade him. Members of his family are put on oath to make him change his mind. However, More still sticks to the dictates of his conscience.
To demonstrate how individually involved he is in his conviction, Thomas More does not get his family involved in his struggle against the state. While other state officials like Norfolk, CromWell and Richard Rich succumb to the wishes of the king because of personal benefits, Thomas More sticks to his conscience. His friends (Norfolk and Rich) abandon and betray him while he remains adamant. He prefers resigning his position as Lord Chancellor to being manipulated by anybody. All the above show how morally upright More is. At his arrest, trial and imprisonment, he maintains his stand, preferring execution to compromising his moral uprightness.