Religion and A Man for All Seasons - Book Report/Review Example

?Irshad Ahmad Academia-Research.Com Order # 772576 December 15, Religion and A Man for All Seasons Religion has always been the most powerful dominating power of the majority of states, kingdoms and dynasties. It is easy to say that religions have always ruled the world. It is easy to convince a hard mind by the use of flexible words of religion. This is the reason that there have always been conflicts in the name of religion. Religion has been exploited by many powerful hands in the accomplishment of their unjust wishes. In A Man for All Seasons, a play by Robert Bolt, the writer has reflected his narration of the true story of English history. Sir Thomas More, a dedicated Catholic, is the main character of the play. As against this, King Henry VIII also seeks religious cover for the accomplishment of his missions. Religion, therefore, plays a vital role in A Man for All Seasons. Answers for the questions are presented as per the following order: A. i. The Approach of Thomas More and King Henry VII towards Religion Thomas More follows religion to the extent that he has been portrayed as a saint in the play. This character of his has widely been criticized that he on many occasions in reality had gone a bit astray from religious justifications. His overall complexion is, however, a determined religious character. The life of Thomas More tells of him as a guide for all times to whom even death meant no punishment. He never let his religious confidence go down against the King’s authority and illegitimate wants. He preserved the religious pride with all his endeavors. Similarly King Henry VIII also uses religion as a ground for the manifestation of his will. Thomas More is seen in a variety of circumstances and in contact with a variety of people including friends, enemies, family members and acquaintances. With the progress of the play, he is seen with an increasing determination and firmness in church. The course of his religious zeal continues until he arrives at a martyr’s death. Religion teaches self-consciousness, and this is what is revealed of Thomas More’s character by Robert Bolt in his introduction to the play. Bolt represents Thomas More as “a man with an adamant sense of his own self” (Bolt, “Introduction to A Man for All Seasons”). He was a determined religious character and was not ready to live a life which involved renouncing his religious integrity. Robert Bolt admits that he is “treating Thomas More, a Christian saint, as a hero of selfhood (Bolt, “Introduction to A Man for All Seasons”). During the whole play, Thomas More seems to have a clear vision of the religion that it rewards the good-doer and punishes the wrong-doer. In a scene of Act II, when Norfolk reminds him of the terms of friendship so as to convince him to go by their wishes, Thomas More responds with a determined reply which speaks of his clear understanding of religion. He replies: And when we stand before God, and you are sent to paradise for doing according to your conscience, and I am damned for not doing according to mine, will you come with me, for fellowship?” (Bolt 75) The reply suggests that More had been doing all for the satisfaction of his conscience guided by religious dogmas. His personal integrity is emphasized in the play, which, in turn, is unexpectedly attached to a belief in the supremacy of the Catholic Church. Both Thomas More and King Henry VIII were convinced of the fact that religion was the most powerful tool to rule the minds of people. More believed that he would have a better life in the next world provided he obeyed all the orders of the God. Therefore, he tried his best not to go astray of the religious path against the wishes of the King. In turn, the King was afraid of Thomas More being perceived by the people in the highest standards. When Norfolk tries to convince him inside the bars of the jail that his life full of rest depended on his one word, he is once again seen adamant like ever. He replies: For our own deaths, my lord, yours and mine, dare we for shame enter the kingdom with ease, when our Lord (Jesus) Himself entered with so much pain? (Bolt 85) Thomas More’s life, therefore, reflects a simple understanding that all his deeds were based on the voice of his conscience being guided by religion and no satisfactions for humans’ will. King Henry VII is met just once in the play when he arrives at the house of Thomas More in Chelsea. He is a powerful character and despite his only one introduction, the play is full of the citations of his name. We see that he always intends to find religious cover for his actions. It may either be due to his understanding of the religion as a powerful element in the English society or he had a deep respect for it. He, by the special dispensation of the Pope of Rome, married Catherine of Aragon who was the widow of his deceased brother. She produced many children but no son that he could find a male heir for his throne. He wanted to marry Anne Boleyn and for this purpose, he had to divorce Catherine but with the permission of the Pope of Rome. For the purpose of one more dispensation, he seeks the help of Thomas More. Thomas More, however, does not assent to the King and the conflict between the two starts. We see King Henry VIII is quite an intellectual in the field of religious learning. He is aware of his religious conscience pricking as he tells Thomas More about this: “You must consider, Thomas, that I stand in peril of my soul” (Mahoney 30). Besides, he cites the sixteenth verse from Leviticus, chapter eighteen: “Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife.” When Thomas More reminds him about the fifth holy book, Deuteronomy, he terms it ambiguous (Mahoney 31). This suggests that he took from religion what suited him and left aside what challenged his authority. He asserts that he will tolerate no opposition for his wants: “Lie low if you will, but I will brook no opposition-no noise! No words, no signs, no letters, no pamphlets…. Mind that, Thomas-no writings against me!” (Miller 138) The King had affirmed that though religion was the most powerful, he would not allow it to hinder him. King Henry VIII was a scholarly person and he had earned a title of “The Defender of Faith” from the Pope. He is, however, a proved opportunist at the end when he is held responsible for breaking away from the Church of Rome. Since then, the distances between the Church of England and the Church of Rome have never been abridged (Miller 157). His role is, however, of consoling the religious towers and he did his best to cover his actions with religious cloth. He did his best in abiding by the religious laws and for an action which he considered inevitable, he sought the laws of religion changed for it (Miller 162). If the characters of Thomas More and King Henry VII are compared, we see that Thomas More appears to be a conservative who cannot see beyond the boundaries of the religion whereas Henry VIII is a bit flexible who feels it necessary that the laws of the religion be bent according to the day-to-day requirements of the kingdom. ii. Religion: Whether Positive or Destructive Force in the Play? Religion has always been a positive factor in the societies provided it is followed with complete spirit. The controversies relating to religion always arise when there appear the opportunists who want to exploit the religion in their favor. Same is the case with Thomas More and King Henry VIII when the conflicting theories of More and Henry worsen the situation. King Henry VIII has once exploited the religious laws in his favor when he got a special dispensation from the Pope for his marriage with the widow of his brother. He intends to get it yet again for his one more marriage and divorce from his existing wife. When he is confronted with problems, he uses his every resource for this purpose and does not care for the legitimacy. Here the problem comes into being and his own explanation of the religion works in the destruction of the society (Mahoney 78). It is interesting that King Henry VIII acts on behalf of his people who trust him as the propagator of God’s words upon the surface of the earth. The play is unique in the sense that it has presented before us the ever struggling forces of pro- and anti-religious factions. We are told that though the kingdoms may falter from the straight path of religion, there are religious scholars and authorities who are to put us once again on that straight path. Thomas More here plays the role of a revolutionary by not bowing before the commands of the King but acting for the satisfaction of his religious conscience. My appreciation for the play, therefore, goes positive as regards the religion. Religion has worked herein against the disintegration of the society and as a binding force. B. How Were the Readings Worthwhile? Being a human and living in a religious world, it is imperative to get knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of the moral principles which the religion has been teaching since long. Humans have to die one day and face the consequences of their deeds after the death. Death is the end of the earthly life and the beginning of a new life. The new life will be based on the actions which we did in this life. The good we do here will reward us with the paradise and the wrong we did here will cause to punish us in the nest world. Thus we have been told to contribute to human welfare on the earth and always strive to obey the religious principles. The six stories relate the same conveyance and have, no doubt, benefitted me. The stories have broadened my view of the natural human behavior. How to deal with the human behaviors in the long run and counter the greed and jealousy of the individuals are the points of my core concerns and the six readings have provided me with a lot of understanding of these issues. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, I am told that there is no completion and one must concentrate on the contributions one can make. In Joseph Story, it is told that nepotism and favoritism disturb the society and equality is the only good way to treat people. In Oedipus Rex, it is taught that actions determine the fate and destiny and before an action, one must think of the destiny. In Antigone, it is conveyed that women can have a stronger role in the society which they as well as the whole society must be aware of. In Othello, I have learned that before arriving at a conclusion, all the related data and facts must be considered. What I learned from A Man for All Seasons has been mentioned before. C. Changes Which May Be Made Before Spring 2013 Online learning is held as a stylish way of modern learning. Technology has been proving helpful in the easiest way of attaining knowledge. Class learning is, however, an unavoidable process which needs more concentration. I would suggest a mixture of both formats of learning with a re-adjusted schedule. For this purpose, I propose 40% for online sessions and 60% for classroom. This will allow us to arrive at the combination of both the old as well as modern knowledge of the field. Fruitful and healthy discussions among the classmates over different topics may also be held mandatory during the course. Works Cited Bolt, Robert. A Man for All Seasons. London: Heinemann, 1980. Print. ---. “Introduction to A Man for All Seasons.” London: Heinemann, 1980. Print Mahoney, Blair. A Man for All Seasons. Elsternwick, Vic: Insight Publications, 2009. Print. Miller, Clarence H. Humanism and Style: Essays on Erasmus and More. Bethlehem, PA: Lehigh University Press, 2010. Print. Read More