Essay about Sir Thomas More the Martyr - 867 Words

The definition of a martyr is a person who willingly suffers death rather than renounce his or her religion. When Sir Thomas More died in July of 1535, he became a martyr. In the play A Man for All Seasons, author Robert Bolt shows us his views on how More came to his death . In this play, Thomas Cromwell, Richard Rich, King Henry VIII, and Sir Thomas More himself are responsible for his death. Although it could be argued that many more people in Sir Thomas More’s life had a part in contributing to his death, these four characters had the greatest part in eventually bringing him to his death. Some people may say that Cromwell and Rich were just pawns in the King’s plot, however they can’t possibly argue that they weren’t in control†¦show more content†¦He feels that if More publicizes the divorce it would proceed without a great amount of public revolt as he is such a man of his principles and religion. He hopes that the people would see that if More is promoting the divorce than it must be acceptable. At one point in the play, King Henry tells More, â€Å"not to pursue me on this matter†(54), but after More accepted the position of Chancellor, King Henry began badgering him to help with the affair. Henry’s behaviour became more violent and intense towards More as he continually declines to comment on the divorce. Despite the fact that King Henry promised again to More, â€Å"There, you have my word – I’ll leave you out of it† (56), he hired Cromwell to try to convince him to make a statement. King Henry wanted More’s approval so badly that he comes up with two possible scenarios. He â€Å"Wants either Sir Thomas More to bless his marriage or Sir Thomas More destroyed† (119). Lastly, Sir Thomas More should by no means be considered an innocent bystander in his own death. He makes poor choices throughout the play that put him on the edge and eventually push him over, towar ds his death. The first mistake that More makes is when he accepts the position of Chancellor, despite his answering â€Å"no†(35) when Margaret asked â€Å"would you want to be Chancellor?†(35). Although he is portrayed as being a man of his principles and his own thoughts, it seems as though in his heart heShow MoreRelatedâ€Å"the Play a Man for All Seasons Demonstrates That in the End Every Man Has His Price†799 Words   |  4 Pagescharacters in the play this is true. However, there are exceptions to this statement. Sir Thomas More, even when faced with impending doom refused to compromise his conscience. Others in the play did not show such bravery and commitment to their moral standard. Those that did not show such bravery are Richard Rich who betrayed More by giving falls witness against him in court, Thomas Cromwell who facilitated Mores downfall with a minimum of guilt and The Common Man who just does what he has to surviveRead MoreThe Film A Man For All Seasons1605 Words   |  7 Pagescinematic tour de force. Directed by the legendary Fred Zinnemann, well known for High Noon, and starring incredibly talented and powerful actors as Paul Scofield, who plays the wonderful Thomas Moore, Orson Welles, and John Hurt. This won six academy awards in 1966. The film uses the historical story of Sir Thomas Moore to explore one of Zinnemann’s favorite themes-- martyrdom- a person standing up even to death for their personal beliefs. Not only that, this film also wrestles with severalRead MoreSir Thomas More : Who Is Sir Thomas More1209 Words   |  5 PagesWho is Sir Thomas More? Thomas More is known for his 1516 book Utopia and for his untimely death in 1535, after refusing to acknowledge King Henry VIII as head of the Church of England. He was canonized by the Catholic Church as a saint in 1935.Thomas More wrote Utopia in 1516, which was the forerunner of the utopian literary genre. More served as an important counselor to King Henry VIII of England, serving as his key counselor in the early 1500s, but after he refused to accept the king as headRead MoreLife During The Renaissance Era997 Words   |  4 PagesSpenser, author of The Faerie Queene, Sir Thomas More, author of Utopia, the records of Anne Askew’s burning, From the First Examination of Anne Askew and John Foxe’s Acts and Monuments, provide insight into the political climate of spiritual reform in the renaissance era. These authors critiqued life during the re naissance and used their writings to protest the old ways, encouraging England to abandon its Catholic roots in favor of Protestantism. Sir Thomas More’s radical ideas portrayed in UtopiaRead MoreBurnings of Protestants and the Failure of Marys Religious Policy2836 Words   |  12 Pagesencouragement rather than a deterrent. Cross sums this up well with the following passage: By 1555 those same citizens who had pressed to dip their handkerchiefs in Sir Thomas Wyatts blood were now crowding round the stakes at Smithfield, shouting their encouragement to the victims.[6] There are more examples of anti Catholic behaviour amongst the population. For example, in April 1554 a dead cat with a shaven head and a bread disc between its paws was found hangingRead MoreThomas Mores Sainthood Essay1303 Words   |  6 PagesThomas Mores Sainthood Thomas Mores sainthood has been under great controversy even after a century of his death. It was not until 1866 that he was declared a saint. This declaration came about after many debates and votes of acceptance both by the people and by the church. While the English Church was still bound by King Henry VIIIs Supremacy Act, Thomas More was rumored to have been a deceitful character of the court. He was declared unorthodox who went against the Church (Roper, 1935)Read MoreNicholas Copernicus : The Father Of Modern Science1728 Words   |  7 Pagessixteenth and seventeenth centuries in Europe. Each of the approximately 120 letters that she sent Galileo were addressed to her Most Illustrious and Beloved Lord Father. In addition in most of her letters Sister Marie Celeste referred to her father as â€Å"sir†, and often expresses her immeasurable love and devotion for Galileo. These actions show much respect and love she truly had for her father. In order to truly understand the respect that Sister Marie Celeste had for Galileo, and his respect for herRead MoreJohn Donne: An Influential English Poet957 Words   |  4 Pagessailing on board the ships. This led to him working for Sir Thomas Egerton, â€Å"the lord keeper of the Great Seal and a member of Elizabeth’s Privy Council,† (Langstaff 347) as secretary. During this time Donne converted to Anglicanism and was made lord keeper. Donne also began writing but no poetry yet. He began writing his Paradoxes and Problems. He also fell in love with Egerton’s second wife’s niece, Anne More. Anne More’s father, Sir George More was the chancellor of the garter (Pi 178). The twoRead More Thomas More: Preserving Self in Society in A Man for All Seasons1074 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"adamantine sense of his own self† (Bolt xii). A Man for All Seasons, although non-theological in its scope, nevertheless presents a dramatic hero of no sm all interest to the contemporary Christian, but whose significance does not end there. Sir Thomas More, a well-known martyr and inspiration to those â€Å"moral† among us, is a man of inexorable integrity, whose steadfast adherence to his religious and ethical beliefs led to his tragic demise, and to the expanding popularity of his character. More’s struggleRead More2.1 The Birth Of Free Speech . It Is Difficult To Pinpoint1267 Words   |  6 Pagesfreedom of speech has always been an indispensable condition of what it means to be a free person. The first known martyr to the principle of free speech was Socrates. In 399BC before his jury to city state of Athens he was tried for corruption the morals of Greek youth and he said that he would rather be convicted than suffer restrictions on his free speech. Free speech became more developed during the Enlightenment period by scholars such as John Locke, Baruch Spinoza, Pierre Bayle and others