FREE ESSAY ON A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS

A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS

A few of the many qualities of friendship include unconditional loyalty, honesty, trust,
and respect. In the play A Man For All Seasons, by Robert Bolt, Sir Thomas More
demonstrates all of these qualities that display friendship, and the basis of a good,
honest man. Richard Rich, on the other hand, contributes very contrasting views and
displays little to no qualities of friendship or loyalty at all.
Sir Thomas More may be considered a true friend and good, honest man due the fact that he
uses qualities of loyalty, honesty, trust, and generosity with whomever he is dealing
with throughout his daily life. He clearly demonstrates his loyalty to both God and the
King, Henry VIII, simultaneously without infrinding on boundries between them. The whole
play shows More's loyalty to God, ultimately he died for his beliefs because they were
not accepted. His loyalty to God is shown by his decision to remain Catholic and true(in
his mind) to his God, though his King was creating a radical new Anglican religion. He
disagreed with the King's decision to go against the Catholic church, but kept his
opinions silent except towards his ruler out of respect and loyalty. His loyalty to the
King is also evident when he uses his judgment and chooses not to open the letter he
received from Chapuys, for fear that his devotion to the King would be brought into
question, ...This is a letter from King Charles; I want you to see it's not been opened.
I have declined it. You see the seal has not been broken?...(Page 64)
More's trust in the King is evident because he is confident that the King will not
pressure him into making any judgment he is not comfortable with, ...Your conscience is
your own affair; but you are my Chancellor! There, you have my word-I'll leave you out of
it. But I don't take it kindly, Thomas, and I'll have no opposition!...Lie low if you
will, but I'll brook no opposition- no words, no signs, no letters, no pamphlets - mind
that, Thomas - no writings against me!(Page 31). 
More is a generous man, for instance giving Rich the silver goblet. More knew if he kept
it, it could be used to incriminate him in the court of law. He could have sold it, but
instead gave it away, out of kindness and generosity. More's giving attitude was also
demonstrated when he offers Rich the teaching position. 
Richard Rich is everything that More is not. He is mercenary and defines himself by
position and possession rather than in his morals and values. Rich cares little for
friendship and loyalty, and cares only for personal gain and profit. 
He is mercenary because everything he does involves some result that will promote him. He
is always putting his needs and wants before the needs of others. More offered Rich an
honorable and respectable job as a teacher, but Rich refused it because he believed it
was meaningless and unimportand, and there was no chance at making substantial amounts of
money with it. It would not improve his social status as much as he desired. Rich was
using More to gain position, he feigns loyalty and friendship towards More for personal
gain....A friend of Sir Thomas and still no office?(Page 3). Rich will not admit to being
More's friend, even when More is on death row. He does not acknowledge or want to think
that More helped him out at all, he turns his back on him and lets him dies, He isn't
really my friend...(Page 21). He does not acknowledge or want to think that More helped
him out at all.
Rich defines himself solely on material items than the things that should be important to
him, such as friendship, love, family, belief, and morals. He will do anything to give
himself a name. He betrayed his friendship with More to prosecute him by lying on the
stand. This gave him the popularity he desired, and knew if More went down, he could gain
position, therefore his loyalty to More was never prevalent. By Rich prosecuting against
More and lying on the stand, he was appointed the Attorney-General for Wales, More was
astonished that anyone could lie and only be appointed the Attorny-General of Wales, For
Wales? Why, Richard, its profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world...But
for Wales-!(Page 95).
Bibliography
the book A man for all seasons