Thomas More, the Chancellor of England, is a man anchored to his principles. He refuses to support the divorce that King Henry VIII seeks from his wife and the dispensation that is required from the Pope to allow the divorce to proceed. In doing so, More conveys several aspects of his personality to the audience. Firstly, More demonstrates that he is a man of conscience and integrity. This is evident when More proclaims to Alice that, “there is a little area where I must rule myself”. This quote highlights the importance that More places upon possessing a moral conscience and further reinforces his desire to remain committed to the principles that are embodied within his character. Furthermore it portrays the fierce dilemma that More is faced with; whether to “forsake [his] own private conscience for the sake of [his] public duties” or to comply with the Kings demands at the expense of his soul’s damnation. We are made quite aware of More’s views on statesmanship in the absence of conscience when he claims that statesmen who “forsake their own private conscience lead their country by a short route to chaos”. The implication of this statement is evident later in the text when the actions of Cromwell and his lack of integrity in his duties led to a society where chaos is prevalent. This chaotic society is demonstrated when England breaks away from the Roman Catholic Church and Thomas More faces execution.
Mores refusal to support the Kings divorce and the Act of Supremacy highlights his tendency to hold strong faith in God and possess an enduring moral center. More is a clear exception to the Machiavellian principles embodied in society at the time. Unlike Rich and Cromwell, he refuses to do what is ”convenient” and instead opts to uphold his morals and “rule himself”. More’s reaction to Norfolk’s request for him to sign the Act of Supremacy for “fellowship” is intriguing to say the least. More responds by saying, “And when we stand before God, and you are sent to Heaven for doing according to your conscience, and I am sent to hell for not doing according to mine, will you come along with me — for fellowship?” Bolt therefore illustrates that while Norfolk’s conscience may be clear with signing the Act of Supremacy, it would not be the case for More. More’s predicament is further escalated when he begins to question whether doing something to ensure his survival on earth is worth his damnation in hell. Ultimately the audience is led to sympathise with More’s dilemma, despite the inconvenient and dangerous nature of his position. It is important to consider that More refused to sacrifice the peril of his soul for the convenience of his life.
It is also important to distinguish between the outcome of More’s predicament and his desired outcome. More is commanded into office and his Chancellorship is “inflicted on him”. His predicament is highly complex. Even though More would not compromise his values, he never wished to die a martyr and fought to the end to uphold his decision not to support the Kings divorce. More demonstrates his faith in the law to protect him when he says “I truly believe that no man in England is safer than myself”. It is More’s faith in the law to protect him that becomes his fatal flaw. More becomes so reliant on the law to save him that he uses every avenue available to him in order to escape persecution. Mores reliance on the law is epitomised by his choice to remain silent throughout the entire play until he was found guilty of High Treason. While More’s silence did prove to temporarily grant him safety under the law, the law was inevitably his downfall. The Act of Supremacy made More’s refusal to sign the Act triable by the courts, and thus the law which More invested so much faith in was inevitably corrupted by the statesmen who directly contributed to his execution.
Further textual evidence supports the idea that More was not interested in dying a martyr. When Chapuys likens More to be the “English Socrates,” More responds in a somewhat disapproving manner when he claims, “Socrates! I’ve no taste for hemlock.” More says this to demonstrate that he has no intention of dying from the poison [hemlock] like Socrates did. This illustrates that even though it was never More’s intention, he was somewhat out of touch with society to believe that his silence would not be interpreted as martyrdom. Even though his actions appeared to be those of a martyr, he was ever so keen on keeping his integrity in tact and staying alive.
While More chooses to remain silent he realises that his actions are not “convenient”. This is highlighted when he says “morality’s not practical. Morality’s a gesture”. This quotation is significant because it summarises the predicament that More is in; that while his actions are not convenient, they are susceptible to interpretation. While many would argue that More is a fool to choose silence over life, it is quite apparent that More values his conscience above his life on earth. More is evidently propelled by a belief that he will be rewarded in heaven for upholding his strong moral centre.
Please note: There is a difference between the Act of Supremacy and the Act of Succession, which I have failed to distinguish in the above writing. When considering what I have said above, please check whether I am correct in reffering to it as the Act of Supremacy or if in fact I am mistaken and meant to say The Act of Succession or visa virsa.
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