THOMAS MORE

THOMAS MOREFROM

SAINTHOOD

TO A HERO OF

SELFHOOD

UNIT OBJECTIVESOn completion of this unit the student should be

able to analyse, how a selected text constructs meaning, conveys ideas and values, and is open to a range of interpretations.

• An understanding of the ideas, characters and themes constructed by the author and presented in the selected text;

• The structures, features and conventions used by authors to construct meaning in a range of literary texts;

• Methods of analysing complex texts and the social, historical and/or cultural values embodied in texts;

• The ways in which the same text is open to different interpretations by different readers;

A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS

EXISTENTIALISM

&

Bolt’s Existential Streak

I think the paramount gift our thinkers, artists, and for all I know, our men of science, should labour to get for us is a sense of selfhood without resort to magic. Albert Camus is a writer I admire in this connection. ~xiv

EXISTENTIALISM

So what is Existentiali

sm?

EXISTENTIALISM

Existentialism is a philosophical framework, or a way of looking at the world, that takes as its starting point, human existence.

EXISTENTIALISM The Existentialist Worldview

Human Existence The Absurd Responsibility The Authentic Self Alienation

EXISTENTIALISM

We will be looking at two types of Existentialism:

A Theistic (God based) version – Kierkegaard

An Atheistic version – Camus.

KIERKEGAARD•1813 – 1855•Considered to be the father of existentialism though was alive a long time before the term was coined.

KIERKEGAARDThe question we must

all face is:

‘What shall I choose to do with my life?’

KIERKEGAARD- The problem of uncertainty.

The human predicament is that we are forced to make choices based on nothing that is certain.

Our minds will not and cannot understand the mind of God.

KIERKEGAARD•Believing in God required taking a blind leap of faith.

KIERKEGAARDFaith, for Kierkegaard meant experiencing God through relationship, rather than intellectually defining him from a distance. It involved a whole life commitment, not just an abstract belief.

MAKE THE LINK

How does Bolt convey More’s view of God?

More’s relationship to God

Oh Roper, you’re a fool, God’s my god…But I find him rather too (very bitter) subtle…I don’t know where he is nor what he wants.

~ pg 39


More’s trust, or faith in God is evident. When Wolsey asks him what he intends to do about the king’s need for a son (p.11), More responds that, he ‘pray[s] for it daily.’


•Just as King Henry is about to arrive, More comes out of Vespers ‘wearing a cassock’ (26)

•‘I am the King’s true subject, and pray for him and all the realm.’ (97)


Although God’s nature is not clear for More, he still believes wholeheartedly and with his whole life.

‘[God] will not refuse one who is so blithe to go to him.’ (p.99)

More’s relationship to More’s relationship to GodGod

More’s steadfast belief in More’s steadfast belief in God and the way his faith God and the way his faith is expressed is contrasted is expressed is contrasted with both Roper and with both Roper and Chapuys.Chapuys.


While More’s convictions are While More’s convictions are deeply held and resolute, deeply held and resolute, Roper feels the need to Roper feels the need to trumpet his views and trumpet his views and considers gestures important.considers gestures important.““Sir, you’ve made a noble Sir, you’ve made a noble gesture.” (p.55)gesture.” (p.55)


Roper is dressed in black and wears a Roper is dressed in black and wears a crosscross

The time has come for decent men to The time has come for decent men to declare their allegiance! (47)declare their allegiance! (47)


Chapuys’ religious beliefs are so Chapuys’ religious beliefs are so intertwined with his politics, that intertwined with his politics, that the two are inseparable and the two are inseparable and indeed, his religiosity appears to indeed, his religiosity appears to be for show.be for show.Steward: Steward: He pulls to the front an He pulls to the front an enormous cross until then hanging enormous cross until then hanging at his back on a length of string – a at his back on a length of string – a caricature of the ebony cross worn caricature of the ebony cross worn by Chapuys. (p.24)by Chapuys. (p.24)


To some extent, it is this unshakable trust in God that takes More all the way to the executioner’s block.

But this trust in God, is only part of the picture according to Bolt.

EXISTENTIALISM•It wasn’t so much the trust in God that Bolt focused on. After all he was himself an atheist and the message that he wanted to convey to his audience went beyond religious conviction.

ALBERT CAMUS1913 - 1960

EXISTENTIALISMCamus

believed that Kierkegaard’s Leap of Faith was not a real solution to the human predicament.

Existentialist Worldview

Like Kierkegaard, he believed that the only way to get real understanding was through personal insight. (Not science)

Existentialist Worldview

Through personal insight, we have the sense of being ‘thrown’ into existence.

Human Existence•Human

beings exist without justification.

•Life for us, is like the life of Sisyphus – utterly meaningless.

The AbsurdWhat is

ultimately absurd is the clash between ourselves and everything we deem important and an ‘indifferent universe’

The Absurd

•We are cast into the world, with no guidance, no rules, no instruction manual.

•There isn’t anything or anyone that particularly cares what you do with that life.

MAKE THE LINK

How does Bolt present the universe in AMFAS?

THE TERRIFYING COSMOS

I took [The Church of Christ] as a metaphor for that larger context which we all inhabit, the terrifying cosmos. Terrifying because no laws, no sanctions, no mores obtain there.

~ Preface (xv)

THE TERRIFYING THE TERRIFYING COSMOSCOSMOS

As a figure for the superhuman As a figure for the superhuman context I took the largest, context I took the largest, most alien, least formulated most alien, least formulated thing I know, the sea and thing I know, the sea and water. The reference to water. The reference to ships, rivers, currents, tides, ships, rivers, currents, tides, navigation, and so on, are all navigation, and so on, are all used for this purpose. used for this purpose. ~ Preface (xvi) ~ Preface (xvi)

Despair

It seems that one cannot respond to Camus’ bleak worldview without despair.

Despair

But this, according to Camus, would be self-indulgent.

Radical Responsibility

Since we are ‘thrown’ into existence in an ‘indifferent universe’, when we look to the path our lives can lead, our lives and futures are entirely open.


As such, we have radical freewill and responsibility for our own lives.

Our own lives, or own selves, are, in a manner of speaking, all we have.


Thus, we have a radical responsibility to our selves - not to anyone else and not to society but to ourselves alone.

The Authentic SelfThe difficulty with turning this responsibility towards society is that we conform to public pressure and to society’s expectations for us and as such, do not live an ‘authentic’ life.

The Authentic Self

This is why Bolt considers it important to define oneself intrinsically, rather than through external criteria and why ‘the self’ is so fundamentally important to him.

MAKE THE LINK

In what way is More a Hero of Selfhood?

THE SELFBolt admired More’s ‘adamantine sense of his own self.’

~ Preface

THE SELFWhen Alice rightly assesses the

King’s anger, she urges More to be ruled. More is loyal to his king until the wishes of his sovereign come in conflict with his self.

“But there’s a little…little area…where I must rule myself.” ~ (p.35)

THE SELFSo strong is More’s sense of self that certain actions are described as physically impossible for him to do.

THE SELF“I couldn’t find the other way.” ~ More to Alice p.34

“I can’t give in Howard – (smile) you might as well advise a man to change the colour of his hair!.”

~ More to Norfolk p.71

THE SELFFor Bolt, The self, conscience, and one’s soul are largely interchangeable.‘Very and pure necessity for

respect of my own soul…Yes, a man’s soul is his self.’

OATHSThere is a special relationship

between the self and the taking of an oath.

‘When a man takes an oath, Meg, he’s holding his own self in his own hands. Like water (cups hands) and if he opens his fingers, then – he needn’t hope to find himself again.’ (p.83)

OATHSTo go against an oath, was to commit perjury. For More, this meant putting his soul in peril – it means damnation.

OATHSFor Bolt, “a man takes an oath only when he

wants to commit himself quite exceptionally to the statement, when he wants to make an identity between the truth of it and his own virtue; he offers himself as a guarantee…there is a special kind of shrug for a perjurer; we feel that the man has no self to commit, no guarantee to offer.”

~ Preface.

OATHSMore had such a keen sense of self, in this regard, that his reputation extended throughout Europe.

p. 32, 58

OATHSOATHS

Bolt conveyed the strength of More’s Bolt conveyed the strength of More’s sense of self by contrasting his sense of self by contrasting his attitude to the taking of oaths to attitude to the taking of oaths to others.others.Henry – Vowed that he would not involve Henry – Vowed that he would not involve

More on the issue of the divorce. (33)More on the issue of the divorce. (33)- Act of Supremacy went against - Act of Supremacy went against

his his coronation oath.coronation oath.Rich – Blithely commits perjury.Rich – Blithely commits perjury.Margaret – Takes an oath to make More Margaret – Takes an oath to make More

change his mind.change his mind.

CONVENIENCE & CONSCIENCE

•To act according to one’s conscience is often inconvenient.

“I’ve got an inconvenient conscience”

~ Roper


•Political expediency– Henry– Cromwell– Wolsey

•Personal gain–Rich

•Survival- Common Man


To give into convenience or expediency at the price of conscience, or doing the right thing, destroys the self.


- Rich – I’m lamenting. I’ve lost my innocence…it can’t have been very important. ~44

- And you’ll find it easier next time ~45.


But there is another reason for why Bolt spoke against political expediency:

Cast your minds back to Bolt’s view of the universe.

The Shelter of Society

He will not try to live in [the cosmos]; he will gratefully accept the shelter of his society.

~Preface (xv)

The Shelter of Society and Law

More’s trust in the law was his trust in his society; his desperate sheltering beneath the forms of the law was his determination to remain within the shelter of society.

~Preface (xv)


And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned round on you – where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country’s planted thick with laws from coast to coast – Man’s laws, not God’s – and if you cut them down…do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then?

~More (p.39)


Cromwell’s contemptuous shattering of the forms of law by an unconcealed act of perjury showed how fragile for an individual is that shelter.

~ Preface (xv)


• “ ‘so far as the law of God allows’. How far the law of God does allow it remains a matter of opinion since the Act doesn’t state it.” (48)

• “Man, you’re cautious.” Norfolk to More

(53)


• “Pooh, he’s a pragmatist – and that’s the only resemblance he has to the Devil.” (66)

• It’s just a matter of finding the right law. Or making one. ~ Cromwell

• Why, Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world…But for Wales___!

The Shelter of Society The Shelter of Society and Lawand Law

The trappings of the Law p.88The trappings of the Law p.88

Perjury as the weakening of the law.Perjury as the weakening of the law.

The terrifying cosmos – water The terrifying cosmos – water imagery.imagery.

The Role of the Comman ManThe Role of the Comman Man

THE COMMON MANTHE COMMON MAN

Opportunistic (14)Opportunistic (14)Realist (57)Realist (57)Uses his sense of powerlessness for Uses his sense of powerlessness for

inaction. (75)inaction. (75)Guided by common sense.Guided by common sense.

THE COMMON MANTHE COMMON MAN

A Brechtian device – addresses the A Brechtian device – addresses the audience.audience.

What the Common Man representsWhat the Common Man representsRepresents the ‘common people’ – Represents the ‘common people’ –

‘everyman’‘everyman’AdamAdamThe average man who witnesses injustice The average man who witnesses injustice

without speaking out or acting to intervene.without speaking out or acting to intervene.Didactic – moral messageDidactic – moral message

I’m breathing…Are you I’m breathing…Are you breathing too?...It’s nice isn’t breathing too?...It’s nice isn’t it? It isn’t difficult to keep it? It isn’t difficult to keep alive friends …just don’t alive friends …just don’t make trouble – or if you must make trouble – or if you must make trouble, make the sort make trouble, make the sort of trouble that’s expected.of trouble that’s expected.

~Common Man (Alternate ~Common Man (Alternate ending)ending)

THE PRIMACY OF SELF

Public Duty vs Private ConscienceI believe when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties…they lead their country by a short route to chaos.

~ More to Wolsey (p.12)

THE PRIMACY OF SELF

But what matters to me is not whether it’s true or not but that I believe it to be true, or rather not that I believe it, but that I believe it. (53)

THE PRIMACY OF SELF

• What you have hunted me for is not my actions, but the thoughts of my heart. It is a long road you have opened. For first men will disclaim their hearts and presently they will have no hearts. God help the statesmen who walk your road. (p.95)

Alienation

When there is a conflict between society’s expectations and the individual, the person must be authentic to themselves. This will often mean being alienated from society.

MAKE THE LINK

In what ways was More alienated from his society?

ALIENATIONIn the end, More was lucky to have his family’s support,

ALIENATION‘As for understanding, I understand you’re the best man that I ever met or am likely to…’

~Alice to More (p.86)

ALIENATIONBut even if he didn’t, he would have to remain true to himself – even to the point of death.

ALIENTATIONALIENTATION

Lighting change commences, Lighting change commences, darkness gathering on the others, darkness gathering on the others, leaving More isolated in the light out leaving More isolated in the light out of which he answers them in the of which he answers them in the shadows. (66)shadows. (66)

In the scene before the execution, In the scene before the execution, More finds himself alone in a More finds himself alone in a spotlight to the right.spotlight to the right.

• ‘obstinate opinions’ (89)

• ‘And you’ll find it easier next time.” (45)

• ‘a man’s soul is his self’ (93)• Will you help England by populating her

with liars? (93)• It’s just a matter of finding the right law. Or

making one.• The King’s a man of conscience and he

wants either Sir Thomas More to bless his marriage or Sir Thomas More destroyed. Either will do.

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THOMAS MORE