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Summary: A Man For All Seasons: A Play For All Time
Review: Sir Robert Bolt's " A Man For All Seasons" is a familiar story, but Bolt's telling of it is always fresh. The motion picture version won 6 Academy Awards in 1966 including "Best Screenplay" (Bolt), "Best Actor" (Paul Scofield), Best Director (Fred Zinneman), and finally "Best Picture". The story is set against King Henry VIII's break with Rome, made necessary by his desire to divorce Catherine and marry Anne Boleyn. When Sir Thomas More refused to sign the Act of Supremacy, he was brought to trial on trumped-up charges and ultimately beheaded. More had sought refuge in the letter of the law, but he was required to state his approval of the Act in an oath --an oath which would have required him to state something that he did not believe. For More, an oath was an invitation to God to act as witness and judge. In existentialist terms, the oath would have shattered his integrity, his humanity, that "...something within himself without which life is meaningless." Contrast More with the character, Lilly, of "The Grifters", a modern character who finds fewer and fewer things that she is unwilling to do. She will make any compromise to survive, including the attempted sexual seduction of her own son. In the end she kills him, and escapes the bloody crime scene in an elevator going ominously down...down...down. Both plays: "A Man For All Seasons" and "The Grifters" are about the "self" and express the Jean Paul Sartre view that "man" alone among the animals is capable of inventing himself.
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Summary: Today's Newsmakers Still Quote from "A Man for All Seasons"
Review: Sir Robert Bolt's great play "A Man for All Seasons" is still as fresh today as it was in 1966 when the movie version (screenplay by Bolt) won six Oscars. Check recent headlines; both Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr and House Judiciary Counsel David Schipper have attempted quotes (mis-quotes) from the play. In the passage that both men attempted to quote from but fell far short of the original's power and drama, Sir Thomas More responds to the fanatic Roper's assertion that he would cut down every law in England to get at the Devil. More responds:"...this country's planted thick with laws ...and if you cut them down...d'you really think you you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law for my own safety's sake." Read the play and determine for yourself if Starr or Schipper, to use More's words "...construe(d) from it according to their wits."
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Summary: a vital example to all mankind
Review: The basic facts of this story are surely well known. When Henry VIII unexpectedly became heir to the British throne upon his brother's death, the Pope made a special dispensation to allow him to marry his brother's widow, the politically desirable Spanish princess Catherine. Later, when Queen Catherine failed to produce a male heir for King Henry and as she became increasingly plain and more deeply religious, Henry sought to have the Pope nullify the marriage for the very reason that it violated Christian law for a man to marry his brother's widow. Sir Thomas More resigned his post as Lord Chancellor of England in 1532 because of his opposition to Henry's plan. Henry having taken England out of the Catholic Church and established the Church of England with himself at its head, Anne Boleyn was crowned his new Queen in June of 1533. Henry passed the Act of Succession in March 1534, which required all who should be called upon to take an oath acknowledging the issue of Henry and Anne as legitimate heirs to the throne, and to this was added a clause repudiating "any foreign authority, prince or potentate". More was summoned on March 14, but refused to take the oath and was sent to the Tower of London. He was indicted for treason in July and at trial solicitor-general Richard Rich testified that More had denied Parliament's power to invest Henry with ecclesiastical powers. Despite More's denial of the statement and his avowal that Rich was a perjurer, he was convicted and was beheaded at Tower Hill on July 6, 1535. For his willingness to be executed rather than renounce his oath to the Pope and the Catholic Church, Thomas More became a martyr and was eventually sainted. Protestant England became the greatest nation on Earth and developed the political, religious and economic institutions upon which all successful modern nations are based. Robert Bolt's great play presents in simple, unadorned scenes, the dilemma of a man of conscience and serves to remind us of how rare and valuable such men are in every age. Bolt's More argues that a man who will sacrifice his conscience has lost something central to his being: When a man takes an oath, Meg, he's holding his own self in his own hands. Like water....and if he opens his fingers then--he needn't hope to find himself again... And in the play's greatest passage, he argues for the centrality of the law, over and against men, in the governance of human affairs, when his family wants him to have the disloyal Rich arrested: Wife: Arrest him! More: For what? Wife: He's dangerous! Roper: For all we know he's a spy! Daughter: Father, that man's bad! More: There's no law against that! Roper: There is, God's law! More: Then let God arrest him! Wife: While you talk he's gone! More: And go he should, if he were the Devil himself, until he broke the law! Roper: So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law! More: Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil? Roper: Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that! More: Oh? 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 is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down (and you're just the man to do it!), do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake! Finally, when he is brought before the Court, More warns those assembled: "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 people whose statesmen walk your road." [For those of us of a certain age and political persuasion, these lines will always call to mind the impassioned plea by Henry Hyde (R, IL) for the Senate to hold President Clinton answerable to the laws of the land. But then as in More's time, there were hardly any ready to withstand the leveling political wind that was blowing. No Cabinet Member or Administration employee resigned in the face of the President's misconduct and lies. No Democrat Senator voted for a single article of impeachment; all succumbed to the cult of personality. It was particularly appalling to watch men like Moynihan, Lieberman and Byrd betray every principle for which they have spoken in public life. For one awful, but thankfully brief moment, we saw the dread specter of what it's like to live in a world where the whims of men are paramount, and the rule of law a farce. Well might we, like More, ask God to help a nation where the statesmen have no hearts, where they place their masters above the law.] In the end, Henry's actions set England upon the path to becoming a great nation and made him a world historical figure. But even, or especially, a great nation needs men like Thomas More, who stand willing to vindicate the rule of law regardless of their personal feelings and interests. More, who followed the dictates of conscience, rather than the diktats of a king, is truly one of the great men of history and remains a vital example to all mankind. GRADE: A+
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Summary: Pretty Good and Moral
Review: The book was better then I expected. I had to read the book for school and I actually kinda enjoyed it. I got through it easily but it wasn't written badly. I thought the moral themes of the book and the courage of Saint Thomas was great. I enjoyed it alot better then the other book we had to read "The Picture of Dorian Gray" which is filled with verbose babble.
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Summary: The play of the mind
Review: The exceptionally talented Robert Bolt, who wrote the very literate and memorable screenplay for Lawrence of Arabia, turns his attention in "A Man for All Seasons" to the conflict between Sir Thomas More and King Henry VIII over the question of Henry's marriage to Anne Boleyn and the subsequent creation of the Church of England in order to jusify it. More believes that the marriage is not legal and that attacks on the church are not justified, and cannot make himself swear the mandated oath recognizing Henry as the head of the church in England. Since More is Chancellor and one of Henry's chief advisors, this sets the stage for that well known conflict that ends with More being beheaded. The miracle that Bolt achieves with this play is to bring alive the conflict of ideas and principle that the mundane question of Henry's irregular marriage occasioned. This is a wordy play, but Bolt is a master of words, and there are enough pithy and memorable exchanges here to fill a book of quotations. The real historical characters were fascinating, and if Bolt has streamlined the story and simplified some of the rough spots that just serves to heighten the dramatic intensity of the inevitable tragic end. As a man of consience, More cannot renounce his faith. He is torn between serving a King to whom he owes allegiance and saving his soul, and the King gives him no out. Even after renouncing his office and refusing to make any public statement about the marriage he is hounded by the King's menions and finally imprisoned in the Tower of London. The cast of characters that seal his fate are not - with the possible exception of Cromwell - evil men. The King is selfish but willing to forgive if More will take the oath. Richard Rich, More's former student whose perjured testimony finally condemns him, is merely venal and willing to sell his self-respect for advancement. More's best friend, who goes along just to be left alone, simply doesn't want to risk his life and title and can't understand More's stance. Even his family has trouble coming to terms with why he will not bend. Knowing from the beginning how this will all end adds a layer of complexity to the actions of those characters who try to influence More and/or benefit themselves. Finally, to return to the language of the play, this is really great writing of a particular kind. Bolt has the ability to sum up complex arguments in a few telling phrases and to find memorable turns of speech that make actors want to say the words and audience members want to hear them. This is simply one of the best plays of its kind ever written and I can't imagine it ceasing to be performed.
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Summary: Humour
Review: The first Act was brilliant! The tension between social mores(forgive the pun) and contempt were well played. The Second act was wonderous political Humour Cudous for including it in the OAC Circulum :-)
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Summary: Errr... Let's Get Our Facts Straight
Review: The only thing I really have to say to people who read this play is... Do some independent research on Sir Thomas More, and you will realize what a skewed charicature of a man Bolt presents. In truth, More tortured protestants in his own home, and was a hot-headed, ineliquent brat. Not that the play isn't entertaining or well written, and not that I have anything against the Catholic church, it's just disturbing to see people say that this play has "good historical value". So read it and enjoy it... or not... but remember to always take historical dramitizations with a grain of salt.
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Summary: How odd: it actually lives up to its reputation!
Review: This book is the essential companion to the movie. Or do I have it backwards? So, to what lengths will a man go to keep his honor? Is everything for sale? This is the story of conscience over expediency, which is a message we need right here, right now, especially in DC. The problem with politics and principles is perennial, but it has become a bit more exacerbated with the war on terrorism. We rally behind More since he stands up for conscious. It is an interesting dilemma, since we might criticize him for not being more vocal or proactive in his stand against the king, but More does say that God made "man to serve him wittingly, in the tangle of his mind! If he suffers us to fall to such a case that there is no escaping, then we may stand our tackle as best we can. . . But it's God's part, not our own, to bring ourselves to that extremity! Our natural business lies in escaping!" (p. 126) The best plays are the ones that make you think yeas after you experience them. This is Bolt's spell, and we can never escape. This is almost a perfect play. The only flaw is that More ends up with the best one liners, while the antagonists Henry VIII and Cromwell have lifeless lines without the wit and sparkle speeches that Bolt have given to More. One of the intriguing aspects of this play is all the subplots, or rather, ripples across the ocean of events. These sub-plays augment an already powerful story, and help bring more light and detail to the story. One ripple is Richard Rich. He is a young man with burning ambition. More wisely counsels him to become a teacher, instead of involving himself in affairs of court. Rich ignores the counsel, gets caught up in the sausage-machine of state, and eventually perjures himself in More's trial. More did not have a price; Rich's price was Wales. Henry VIII is another backgound mover, and the driver of the events in the play. He wants an heir, but at what price? The dynastic wars had just been settled, and his line was established, but he had no heir. Harry VIII was a bit of a playboy like Harry V, but Harry V eventually grew up. Henry VIII went to every extraordinary extreme to have an heir, from marrying his wife, to divorcing his wife, establishing a new church to soothe his conscience, and finally sanction the death of his one and only loyal friend. His price was his pride. Another sub-ripple was the romance between Margaret More and William Roper. Thomas was, of course, a staunch Catholic, but Roper was a new Lutheran, and there was religious tension. Thomas forbade his daughter Margaret from marrying Roper until he returned to Catholicism. Two characters were almost ignored in the play: Wolsey and Alice More, but I guess that you can't have everything in a two-act play. Sigh! The 1966 film adaptation left out another sub-plot Senor Chapuys, the Spanish ambassador. Since Katharine was from Aragon, Catholic Spain had quite an interest in having the first marriage remain in tact. Aside from reading a history book on the man and the time, I would recommend the companion classic of Shakespeare's play "Henry VIII," which tells how Wolsey accidentally got Anne Bolyn and Henry VIII together at a dinner party, and how Wolsey fell out of favor with the King. Surprisingly, Shakespeare only mentions More once (III.ii.468), but we understand the edgy politics during Shakespeare's day. Bolts quick wit and ability to compress complex ideas into compact catchphrases, what are called "bumper-sticker" lines in the film industry. I would like to read more of his plays.
Rating:
Summary: How odd: it actually lives up to its reputation!
Review: This book is the essential companion to the movie. Or do I have it backwards? So, to what lengths will a man go to keep his honor? Is everything for sale? This is the story of conscience over expediency, which is a message we need right here, right now, especially in DC. The problem with politics and principles is perennial, but it has become a bit more exacerbated with the war on terrorism. We rally behind More since he stands up for conscious. It is an interesting dilemma, since we might criticize him for not being more vocal or proactive in his stand against the king, but More does say that God made "man to serve him wittingly, in the tangle of his mind! If he suffers us to fall to such a case that there is no escaping, then we may stand our tackle as best we can. . . But it's God's part, not our own, to bring ourselves to that extremity! Our natural business lies in escaping!" (p. 126) The best plays are the ones that make you think yeas after you experience them. This is Bolt's spell, and we can never escape. This is almost a perfect play. The only flaw is that More ends up with the best one liners, while the antagonists Henry VIII and Cromwell have lifeless lines without the wit and sparkle speeches that Bolt have given to More. One of the intriguing aspects of this play is all the subplots, or rather, ripples across the ocean of events. These sub-plays augment an already powerful story, and help bring more light and detail to the story. One ripple is Richard Rich. He is a young man with burning ambition. More wisely counsels him to become a teacher, instead of involving himself in affairs of court. Rich ignores the counsel, gets caught up in the sausage-machine of state, and eventually perjures himself in More's trial. More did not have a price; Rich's price was Wales. Henry VIII is another backgound mover, and the driver of the events in the play. He wants an heir, but at what price? The dynastic wars had just been settled, and his line was established, but he had no heir. Harry VIII was a bit of a playboy like Harry V, but Harry V eventually grew up. Henry VIII went to every extraordinary extreme to have an heir, from marrying his wife, to divorcing his wife, establishing a new church to soothe his conscience, and finally sanction the death of his one and only loyal friend. His price was his pride. Another sub-ripple was the romance between Margaret More and William Roper. Thomas was, of course, a staunch Catholic, but Roper was a new Lutheran, and there was religious tension. Thomas forbade his daughter Margaret from marrying Roper until he returned to Catholicism. Two characters were almost ignored in the play: Wolsey and Alice More, but I guess that you can't have everything in a two-act play. Sigh! The 1966 film adaptation left out another sub-plot Senor Chapuys, the Spanish ambassador. Since Katharine was from Aragon, Catholic Spain had quite an interest in having the first marriage remain in tact. Aside from reading a history book on the man and the time, I would recommend the companion classic of Shakespeare's play "Henry VIII," which tells how Wolsey accidentally got Anne Bolyn and Henry VIII together at a dinner party, and how Wolsey fell out of favor with the King. Surprisingly, Shakespeare only mentions More once (III.ii.468), but we understand the edgy politics during Shakespeare's day. Bolts quick wit and ability to compress complex ideas into compact catchphrases, what are called "bumper-sticker" lines in the film industry. I would like to read more of his plays.
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Summary: A Book to Touch the Soul.
Review: This book, after reading some other reviews, has not touched me nor filled me with hatred. It has only shown me that a true story about a now saint can make you think about how you deal with oppression and the pressures of fitting in with the crowd. Yes, I read it for school. No, I would not have read it if I wasn't made to, but I honestly feel that all teen-agers should read the book "A man For all Seasons". It represents the ignorace of mankind and their consequences.
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