Contents Character map 2 Introduction 3 Tips for writing essays 16 Essay 1: Rich, Cromwell, Wolsey and the Common Man are all victims in their own way. Discuss. 18 Essay 2: We must stand fast a little even at the risk of being heroes. Is Sir Thomas More truly heroic? 22 Essay 3: While Sir Thomas More may have failed as a diplomat and politician, he certainly succeeds as a human being. To what extent do you agree with this assessment? 26 Essay 4: A Man for All Seasons shows the triumph of pragmatism over idealism. Discuss. 30 Essay 5: A Man for All Seasons shows that when those in power abandon their values, self-interest brings more success than integrity. Discuss. 34 Essay 6: A Man for All Seasons demonstrates that every man does not have his price. Discuss. 38 Essay 7: A Man for All Seasons shows that justice does not always prevail. Discuss. 42 Essay 8: Why does More refuse to take the oath? 46 Essay 9: Is Sir Thomas More the only man for all seasons in the play? 50 Essay 10: There s nothing wrong with Richard Rich. He makes the most of difficult circumstances. Discuss. 54 Practice topics 58
Character map King Henry VIII Motivates all action. royal servant royal servant Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk; easy fellowship. Thomas Cromwell Hard realpolitik. likes dislikes learns from Richard Rich Self-interested. distrusts Alice More Sir Thomas s wife; honest, assertive. Sir Thomas More Ethical protagonist; has integrity and conscience. Margaret More Sir Thomas s daughter; intelligent obedience. become enemies marries Cardinal Wolsey Worldly Power. Cranmer and Chapuys try but fail to get More s support William Roper Religious commitment. The Common Man ( A man for all seasons?); observer and survivor. Archbishop Cranmer Pragmatic cleric; complies with Henry s wishes. Signor Chapuys Pragmatic Spanish diplomat. 2 Insight Publications 2009
A Man for All Seasons Introduction Since its initial publication and performance in 1960, Robert Bolt s play A Man for All Seasons has become an enduring classic, notable for its sensitive portrayal of a man who remains true to his principles even as this leads to his destruction. Yet the play is much more than a mere character study; it advances a humanistic world view that highlights the problems of self-serving pragmatism, delivering its themes via witty dialogue and an innovative style that breaks down the barrier between stage and audience. The role of Sir Thomas More was made famous by Paul Scofield on the stage and later in the 1966 Fred Zinnemann film version, also scripted by Bolt, which won six Academy Awards. Charlton Heston played Sir Thomas in a later version made for television that also starred Vanessa Redgrave and Sir John Gielgud. Brief synopsis Act One opens in the house of Sir Thomas More and his family, where Richard Rich and Thomas Norfolk are dinner guests. There is a brief moment of tension between Rich and More: Rich believes that every man has his price (p.2), but More refuses to accept this. While Rich seeks More s support, he disdains More s offer of a teaching post. The friendship between More and Norfolk, in contrast, seems more genuine. Sir Thomas is summoned to see the powerful Cardinal Wolsey, who wants More to declare his support for Henry VIII s divorce. More refuses. After leaving Wolsey, he meets the secretary to the Cardinal, Thomas Cromwell, and Signor Chapuys, the Spanish ambassador, each of whom attempts to gain information from More for their own purposes. The King makes More the Lord Chancellor, attempting to personally secure support for his divorce support which More still refuses to give. Meanwhile, Richard Rich has come under the sway of Cromwell, who wishes to use him for his own ends. Act Two begins two years later. Henry VIII has established the Church of England and declared himself its leader, rejecting the authority of Rome. The English bishops submit to Henry s demands, and More resigns from the Chancellorship in protest. Although he avoids making any public statement on the King s Supremacy or his divorce in order to avoid a charge of treason, More becomes impoverished and is forced to relinquish his house and staff. Cromwell and Rich, Insight Publications 2009 3
Tips For Writing Essays If you follow these simple tips, you ll be assured of an extra mark or two! 10 Do s Know the text really well and answer the question properly. Write a plan. Structure your essay using an introduction, several body paragraphs and a conclusion. Use paragraphs with clear topic sentences to mark the progression of your argument. Remember new paragraph = new point. A good example of a clear topic sentence is: The consequences of racial prejudice are explored in Othello. Use correct spelling and ensure you always spell book titles, characters names or authors names correctly; for example, Eli Wiesel s Night. Put direct quotations in inverted commas; for example: Othello defends Desdemona s loyalty to Brabantio, swearing my life upon her faith. Display your knowledge of the text by selecting relevant references to support your views. For example, if you choose to focus on the moments of Eli s life that shaped his personality in Night, you might analyse the scene featuring the death of his father. Work out your own point of view on key elements such as characters, narrators, plot, etc. Keep to topic. Acknowledge the difference between genres; for example, film, play. For example, when discussing a film, refer to shots, images, scenes, etc. When discussing a play, acknowledge the performance aspects, such as stage directions, the playwright s instructions for the setting, etc. 16 Insight Publications 2009
ESSAY 1 Rich, Cromwell, Wolsey and the Common Man are all victims in their own way. Discuss. Richard Rich and Thomas Cromwell are, in a significant sense, the villains of A Man for All Seasons: they ruthlessly exploit their positions for personal gain and destroy the life of a fundamentally good and innocent man. The Common Man, though claiming innocence as a plain simple man, is nevertheless complicit: he meekly performs the duties asked of him regardless of their underlying morality. Yet, like More, they too are victims of a system over which they have little control a system that depends on compliance for survival, and in which rebellion leads swiftly to elimination. Cardinal Wolsey is an exemplary citizen of such a state, yet even he falls victim to the King s impatience for a submissive Church. Rich, Cromwell and the Common Man are survivors, yet none have any real freedom to act or speak, and their lives lack any kindness, warmth and intimacy to provide relief from the relentless demands of the State. Although Wolsey is a cardinal, his priority is to serve the State rather than the Church. He expresses his understanding of the dilemma he faces in purely political terms: Do you fancy a change of dynasty? he asks More, implying that a Tudor heir to the throne is far more important than the morality of pressuring the Pope to dissolve the King s marriage. Despite his strong commitment to the King, though, his inability to produce the desired result leads to him being charged with High Treason. He dies on his way to the Tower, a victim of a regime he not only served diligently but which bestowed on him scarcely less authority than the King. Cromwell and Rich do produce a result sought by Henry: a conviction of Thomas More that leads to his execution, and also ensures their own continued prosperity at least into the near future. Rich, in particular, advances his social and political States the writer s broad opinion of Rich and Cromwell i.e. these characters are the villains of the play. Modifies the broad statement, to establish that the writer s stance is in agreement with the essay contention. These characters are all victims in the sense that the choices available to them are restricted. However, some of the characters exhibit more of the typical characteristics of victims than others. Sometimes, the characters are victims of their own behaviour. Good topic sentence shifts the discussion to Wolsey. Demonstrates excellent knowledge of the text and its historical context. Establishes Wolsey as very much a victim of the situation. Effective segue into discussion of Rich and Cromwell. The difference between them and Wolsey is highlighted. 18 Insight Publications 2009