Sir Thomas More

I am speaking of the literary character, not the historical character. Historically, Sir Thomas More, like most famous men, has a mixed record. However, in the play (and later, academy award-winning film) A Man for All Seasons, he is delightfully and objectively good, the stuff heroes are made of.

More is a devout man, a loving father, a successful and just lawyer, an intelligent and witty man, and a person with many friends. He has, in Henry VIII’s England, managed to become successful, popular, and respected, yet he is also a man of conscience, who refuses to compromise.

One of More’s most distinguishing characteristics is his cleverness. He always manages to navigate tense, complicated political situations without losing his head (literally – its’ a very real possibility) or his integrity. Somehow, he always finds a way to do the right thing.

More: God made the angels to show Him splendor, as He made animals for innocence and plants for their simplicity. But Man He made to serve Him wittily, in the tangle of his mind. If He suffers us to come to such a case that there is no escaping, then we may stand to our tackle as best we can, and, yes, Meg, then we can clamor like champions, if we have the spittle for it. But it's God's part, not our own, to bring ourselves to such a pass. Our natural business lies in escaping.

For all his wiliness, More is also dedicated to the law, and to his conscience.

More: Well . . . I believe, when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties . . . they lead their country by a short route to chaos.

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!

Eventually, Sir Thomas More comes to a “case that there is no escaping.” At this point, he decides to “stick to…[his] tackle,” The reason is that he is afraid of the consequences of compromising his conscience. More has compromised everything else, but he cannot betray his conscience, because then he would lose the last part of himself…and perhaps never find it again.

More: I neither could nor would rule my King. But there’s a little . . . little, area . . . where I must rule myself. It’s very little—less to him than a tennis court.

…Some men think the Earth is round, other think it flat; it is a matter capable of question. But if it is flat, will the King's command make it round? And if it is round, will the King's command flatten it? No, I will not sign.

More is an amazing character because he is neither cowardly nor rash. He does everything possible to avoid confrontation, because he wants to live peacefully and happily. He is not the sort to sacrifice when he doesn’t have to. Yet, he is actually one of the most iron-willed and uncompromising characters in all of literature. When asked to give away what he truly wants to keep, nothing can convince him to change his mind.

I see so much room for practical application in the story of Sir Thomas More (at least…in the fictional story; perhaps not the true one). His discernment is unparalleled, and his moral compass seemingly infallible. He is, most definitely, a hero.