A Man for All Seasons: More’s Moral Stature Essay

Thomas Cromwell is another character in the play that displayed corrupted ways. He was the primary person responsible for the downfall of More. While Rich’s immoral acts were reluctant at times, Cromwell’s was steadfast, he was really dedicated and motivated in taken down More, and did it with practically no guilt whatsoever. Cromwell’s sole purpose in the play

In the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the people of Salem, Massachusetts prove time and time again that they care more about their reputations than the events that are taking place and how these events are affecting the people around them. Having a good reputation can be a good thing but when being concerned about your reputation clouds your judgement, that is when it becomes a dilemma. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller uses having a good reputation, the character of Parris, and how reputation and The Crucible tie into modern life to enlighten the reader that even though having a good reputation is great, it should not cloud one’s ability to see the harm they are doing to others.

When examining the problems of English society, More points out that another of the main contributing factors is the centralized kingship of the country. More says, "it is generally agreed that a king can do no wrong, however much he may want to, because everything belongs to him, including every human being in the country...". (More, 61) Because the king has so much power over his country and his land, there is nothing to assure that the people under his command can lead happy and healthy lives.

The motion picture A Few Good Men challenges the question of why Marines obey their superiors’ orders without hesitation. The film illustrates a story about two Marines, Lance Corporal Harold W. Dawson and Private First Class Louden Downey charged for the murder of Private First Class William T. Santiago. Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee, who is known to be lackadaisical and originally considers offering a plea bargain in order to curtail Dawson’s and Downey’s sentence, finds himself fighting for the freedom of the Marines; their argument: they simply followed the orders given for a “Code Red”. The question of why people follow any order given has attracted much speculation from the world of psychology. Stanley Milgram, a Yale psychologist,

People’s true character is revealed through their actions. Their morals and ethics can be told from how they choose to act in a situation. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible; the character of John Proctor is an honorable man despite having committed wrongful acts. He was able to redeem himself through acts that is considered courageous, such as when he refuses to contribute to the lie of witchcraft in Salem, when he fights for the people who were convicted of witchcraft and when he regrets being a dishonest man.

As we all know reputation is a really big deal in today’s society. Hardly any kid can be themselves because they are so scared they won't fit in or be popular. Many adults feel the same way. If there neighbor buys a boat, they feel like they should buy one to just fit in. In “The Crucible” it is the same way reputation is very important to them and they don’t want to ruin there reputation even if it is gonna sacrifice them being alive, they want to make sure they keep their good name in the community. In this novel there were a bunch of characters who cared about their reputation. Parris, Abigail, Rebecca Nurse, and John Proctor. The main two who cared about their reputation would be Abigail and John. Many characters in “The Crucible” are concerned about their reputations. Two of the main characters especially concerned with the betrayal of their reputations are Abigail and John.

The most hypocritical person in The Crucible is Reverend Parris, the town’s minister. Although he should be a beacon of light and grace, Parris preaches about hell and barely mentions about the forgiveness of god. Parris is extremely hypocritical, he is greedy and wants more money because he went to Harvard and believes he is above and more educated than everyone. “The salary is 66 pound, Mr. Proctor! I am not some preaching farmer with a book under my arm; I am a graduate of Harvard College.” – Parris. He only cares about his reputation. “But if you trafficked with sprits in the forest I must know, for surely my enemies will and they will ruin me with it’ – Parris. Parris’s hypocrisy shows the audience what kind of a character he truly is, it reveals his internalizing role.

“The essence of immorality is the tendency to make an exception of myself” (Addams). Immorality is a very subjective concept, but sometimes it is undeniable. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Abigail Williams is shown to be the most immoral character through her constant disregard of others throughout the different events of the story, furthering the point that when in fearful situations people will only think about themselves.

He believes that if he is summoned to the Court that the jury will look at the evidence and realize there is no probable content to convict him of, therefore, proving him to be an innocent man who has done no wrong. More distinctly states this belief when he tells Cromwell, “The law requires more than an assumption; the law requires a fact.” -Sir Thomas More, pg 131

Power inevitably instills vanity in those who hold it, and thus, chaos and negligence in government cannot be avoided. However, despite this corruption in leadership, civilization can continue to function with morality from where it is least expected. The lowly Dogberry and watchmen provide the evidence that enables everyone to have a happy ending, and Hal, whom everyone regarded as a total disgrace, heroically saves the king from death. Without this unanticipated honor though, society does fall to tragedy as seen in the demise of nearly every character in the greedy, power hungry world of King Lear. Therefore, because of this great importance of unexpected integrity, everyone, regardless of class, holds a responsibility to act with the dignity that once solely belonged to the privileged. While typically, only those who hold no power understand society’s problems and live virtuously, these people, though lacking in status, actually hold the most honor and power to influence positive

Another pivotal development in the plot of the play is the reactions of Mr. hale to the happenings in Salem. He is a man of integrity, although at times misguided and overzealous, he is willing to change his mind when confronted with the truth. Despite this admirable trait, he lacks the moral conviction to act against proceedings that will condemn innocent people to death. He comes to realize that John Proctor is

The next example of hypocrisy in The Crucible is Reverend Parris’s character. He is the spiritual leader of Salem, yet Arthur Miller characterizes him as being very greedy and selfish. He only desires money and a high status within the community.

Many characters display acts of courage in Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible. Throughout the Salem Witch Trials, the characters are able to face the truth without the fear of losing. The three characters that show more courage than the others were John Proctor because he is honorable, Giles Corey because he is selfless, and Reverend Hale because he is bold.

In accompaniment to the symbols, Bolt utilizes distinct characters to comment on the unethical convictions of the general populous. ______The Church sent out an oath asking for the approval of King Henry and Catherine’s divorce so that he could marry his mistress and produce a male heir. More refused to sign the oath and was convicted with treason for staying true to his beliefs. While on trial for treason, More expresses his strong belief of abiding to his conscience as he proclaims, “In matters of conscience, the loyal subject is more bounden to be loyal to his conscience than to any other thing.” This scene is a pivotal confirmation that More is unwilling to succumb to the pressures placed on him by his friends and family. More did not

In fact, More and Cromwell’s (Cromwell is a crafty lawyer who tries to buy More over when he will not give his consent to the divorce) mutual hatred of each other stems from their opposite views on national piety. More’s dedication to his country and the laws of his country is the absolute antonym of Cromwell’s views and lifestyle. Cromwell will do anything to be anything, while More believes doing or being anything against yourself is wrong. For example, More is disgustingly aware of how Cromwell uses the law as oppression. Cromwell is only concerned for the well-being of him, and is infuriated when he tries to break More, but learns he cannot be unbroken.