A man for all season

Essay by andreUniversity, Bachelor'sA, March 2003

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Sir Thomas More plays the character of man stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one hand he has sworn to uphold the will of his Lord, King Henry the VIII, but on the other side he expresses his loyalty to his faith and the church in Rome. With the knowledge of the power King Henry retains and his political relations with the church in Rome, More isn't quick to make enemies. Instead, caution is placed on every body and the muttered words amongst those who know him are carefully censored. More assumes the title of A Man for All Seasons with his uncanny ability to take hold of the worst of situations using his greatest of personality traits; courage, cautiousness, seriousness, humor, and humanness. These traits are what create the content of Sir Thomas More's character. He truly portrays a man free from the injustice and tyranny which surrounds him.

Instead, he follows the hand which has leaded him time and time again, his heart and soul. With King Henry's decision to divorce his wife and assume power of the church in England, More has undoubtedly found himself in the decision of his life time. Should he do what the majority in favor ask of him or follow the faint echo of consciousness dwelling in is his head and reject the oath which confronts him? With all eyes upon him, Sir Thomas More uses the best of his traits to discourage those who are out to persuade his will and stand fast to the ideals he has founded his life on. For this, he gained the attention of those who mattered and a voice which stood above the common man. This moral dilemma of having to choose between his friend King Henry VIII and the...