While Sir Thomas More is the play’s ‘hero’, the Common Man is the ‘Man for All Seasons’. Do you agree? In Robert Bolt’s play, A Man For All Seasons, the lead character, Sir Thomas More, had the option to conform like the rest of society, however, he chose to make a choice that he felt was correct, and stood behind it until the end. With the courage to battle the King of England, Sir Thomas More was perceived to lead a silent attack on the Throne. His resolution to protest the unlawful marriage of King Henry and Anne Boleyn was rooted in Christian beliefs and morals.
However, the relationship is one-sided, because his father expects him to be obedient and not argue with him. This a disappointing relationship because Henry's father tries to force Henry to do something he doesn't want to, also Henry decides not to go and disappoints his father. Another scene that shows the complexity of the relationship between Henry and his father is on page 263. His father is on his deathbed, and he tells Henry “I did it for you”, mentioning the letters that Henry had sent and received. Henrys’ father acted selfishly by stopping the communication between Henry and Keiko.
While trying to cause the mass of people to get rid of the bias it has against Antony, who is Caesar’s best friend, and also to convince it that, what he says is done with the permission of Brutus, he develops his rationale that Caesar was not ambitious as alleged by Brutus. He uses his fine art of speaking not to show that he is violating the undertaking made to Brutus that he would not blame him. He knows if the pro-Brutus crowd sees that he is finding fault with Brutus, it will raise objections and will not allow him to continue with his speech. At the commencement of his speech, Antony is very tactful, patient, humble and has the presence of mind not to do anything that will antagonize the pro-Brutus feeling. He also tries to convince the people there that he too is
Boor shows this when he writes, “So you figured it would be better if I just hated myself” (265). The only reason his parents told him the truth is Paul confronted them. While they admitted that he had a right to know, they justified their reason for not telling him earlier. Paul may have understood that his parents’ love led to their over protection but he probably distrusted his parents and their ability to tell him the whole truth. Paul’s parents’ choices changed the direction of his life.
However one thing is certain, the victor will either be King Charles Stewart and his Royalist supporters or the men of Parliament with their supporters. It is despicable that Parliament refuses to accept the divine will of our great and noble King Charles. Parliament has been given a sound opportunity to listen to the will of our King yet they have chosen to ignore his will and as a result they have jeopardized our position as a force in Europe and worst of all they have committed high treason. Parliaments will regret allowing the five condemned Members of Parliament to escape justice; it is only a matter of time before they beg for forgiveness. We have a strong position in the West Country, the north and Wales and we firmly believe that the people will gladly support our sovereign in this conflict.
From today as mine by right.” Creon also now believes that as he is now king he is infallible and believes that his own laws should come above the laws of the gods. “But I am the law” Creon`s own attitude towards his own rule seems very autocratic, his opinion that a king does not need to listen to the people and make judgements he believes are the most beneficial to the state. “ I have never based my political principles on the opinions of people in the streets” “And I will act according to my own convictions” Creon believes that his actions to deny the burial of Polynices are justified because he believes that the gods will support his actions as Polynices was a traitor and Creon sees no reason as to why the gods would honour a traitor. “No, he must be left unburied, his corpse carrion for the birds and dogs to tear, an obscenity for citizens to behold! These are my principles.
Bolingbroke strives to preserve his family honour and retrieve his rightful land, thus his ambitions prove him to be a competent co-ordinator. It is Richard’s irresponsible and puerile ruling mentality, and Bolingbroke’s ability to impose his powers and be an effective leader that led to Richard’s abdication. The Christian moral society in which Richard II is set, believed implicitly in ‘The Divine Right of Kings.’ This is governed by the ‘The Great Chain of Being,’ which is the hierarchical ordering of society and the power of a king as they are supposed to be ordained by God. Shakespeare portrays Richard as one who has
Sir Thomas More’s “adamantine” “sense of his own self” is juxtaposed with Henry’s conniving disposition. As a highly respected figure of the realm, the king’s annulment could not be passed without More’s sworn oath, however he refused which only ignited the conspiratorial egotism of the king. More’s disavowal to explain the reasons behind his opposition to the oath was an act of selflessness just as it is, paradoxically, an act of selfishness:
Yet while Caesar may not be unduly power-hungry, he does possess his share of flaws. He is unable to separate his public life from his private life, and, seduced by the populace’s increasing idealization and idolization of his image, he ignores ill omens and threats against his life, believing himself as eternal as the North Star. Antony - A friend of Caesar. Antony claims allegiance to Brutus and the conspirators after Caesar’s death in order to save his own life. Later, however, when speaking a funeral oration over Caesar’s body, he spectacularly persuades the audience to withdraw its support of Brutus and instead condemn him as a traitor.
Another example of his imperfect syllogization is when he opposes the conspirators taking an oath on their resolution to assassinate Caesar. He persistently asseverates that if their cause - their motivation - is honorable and honest, then they need not swear. "Unto bad causes swear such creatures as men in doubt," he says. Yet the notion that their own cause might be corrupt does not occur to him. In consideration of this, Brutus appears increasingly benighted as he attempts to exonerate himself of guilt during the time preceding Caesar’s death.