A Man for All Seasons

[daniel99]

Hemlock is poison...So he is saying that he does not want to cause his own death.."I have no taste for hemlock", like Socrates did lol?

[jsimmo]

I actually agree with daniel99 and that is how I have interpreted the text. More did not want to die a martyr. This is displayed in More's actions to fight to the very end.

But thats not what I mean. I actually want to know what the response “Socrates! I’ve no taste for hemlock.” means. What is hemlock?

Hemlock is a poison (herbal poison to cure medical issues)

[costargh]

Does anyone know why when Chapuys likens More to the "English Socrates" he replies with “Socrates! I’ve no taste for hemlock.”

I don't get it.

Socrates was similar to More, he was a martyr, and More is basically saying that he does not want to die for his consciouss/integrity/beleifs etc

Your wrong (Chapyus said it not More).. Socrates died from the poison, hemlock.. that's all I can get out of it sorry (Clinton will reply soon - or someone else with better knowledge of that line).

Chapuys: something something "English socrates"
More: something something “Socrates! I’ve no taste for hemlock.”

[clinton_09]

hmm from memory it had something to do with change, bit rusty with that quote can't really remember its meaning. costargh if your book is the one with the green cover, look at the back in the notes section incredibly handy i must say

[costargh]

Yellow cover.

I might post my oral up later depending on how I feel.

[mark_alec]

What is hemlock?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conium

[jezza_113]

From my own personal interpretation it seems to me that More really doesn't care whether the divorce goes ahead, and he does his best not to portray himself as a Martyr. More knows that there is no way that he will be able to sway the Kings opinion and it would be against his own morals to try and do so, but as an alternative, More can control that that part inside that is his conscience. More does not wish to change the world with his beliefs and convictions because to do so would contradictory. He merely wished to know that he had stayed true to himself and he thought this could be done just by staying silent. Yet More was so well renowned that his opinion had to be made public. More merely wanted to live his life knowing that he had stayed true to his conscience, he had no intention of being a martyr. Hence his frustration when Chapuys commended his stance against the King.

What I'd like to know is what all that hawk stooping from a cloud stuff was. it went straight over my head.

[costargh]

Can someone go a bit deeper with the meaning of this quote for me.

"The Sixteenth Century is the Century of the Common Man. Like all the other centuries"

Why is this significant?