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Whether it is accurate in all its details or not, A Man for All Seasons is an attempt topresent the historical conflict between Thomas More and Henry VIII. The conflictcould be viewed as merely a political one but neither history nor the filmmakers haveviewed More's conduct purely in that light, although Henry followed a policy whichadvanced his personal power while it diminished the power of the Church of Rome. SirThomas More was a moral intellectual who adhered to principles that transcendedpolitical expediency.. There was a point beyond which he was unwilling tocompromise his personal convictions.Robert Bolt borrows some of Brecht's devices in creating his remarkable play, A Man forAll Seasons. "I tried then for a bold and beautiful verbal architecture, a story rather than aplot, and overtly theatrical means of switching from one locale to another. I also used themost notorious of alienation devices, an actor who addresses the audience and commentson the action. He is intended to draw the audience into the play." Bolt'snarrator/participant is a brilliant creation in a tale about "Kings and Cardinals." Playing ahalf dozen parts as functionaries (e.g., servant, boatman, jailer, publican, etc.), The
More shows us that we should believe in what is right. Henry made More one ofhis favorites and often sought his company for philosophicalconversations. He searches for every legal loophole to stay alive, but hewill not compromise his conscience. Moreresigned from the chancellorship in 1532 and withdrew from publicnotice. In 1935 he was canonized by theRoman Catholic church. During the next decade,More attracted the attention of King Henry 8. Oliver Cromwell frames More, forcing him to resign as Chancellor. Yet the supremacy of the individual conscience as well as the difficulty of thepolitician reconciling his private conscience and his public duty are the major themes. Occasionally, he jumps right outof character, time, and period to give us an historical perspective. The king had imprisoned him in 1534. Orson Welles' Wolsey, the venal Cromwell and the ambitious Richard Rich who sells hissoul "for Wales?" add ingredients that combine to hold any viewer's attention. For our specific purposes the film presents a reasonably accurate picture of the issuessurrounding the early years of the English Reformation, the "King's Great Matter," thefeeble English hierarchy, the creeping Calvinism of Cranmer, the catholic attitudes of theking, the compliance of the Parliament. Many of our heroes today are characterized by their tremendous physicalstrength, romantic appeal, and or by valor in battle. More was tried thefollowing year; he refused to take an oath of supremacy, asserting thatParliament did not have the right to usurp papal authority in favor ofthe king.
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Acceptance Essays
