Comparing Reason And Law In A Man For All Seasons

A Man for All Seasons demonstrates the Renaissance contrast between reason and law. These two ideas are manifested through Thomas More and King Henry. Thomas More symbolizes reason while King Henry represents the law. However, because Henry is King he has the power and authority of the law and can govern as extreme or as lenient as he wishes. Bolt refers to him as a “monstrous baby” meaning that he will have it his way at any cost (vii). On the contrary, Thomas More represents reasonable law which is commonly referred to as civil law. This is where evidence is required to prosecute. Throughout the play, Thomas More relied on civil law to protect him, but it was unsuccessful and unreliable. His firmness in his belief was both admirable and ignorant; however, he drove himself toward his demise. More has a reputation as a moral man and is perceived as saint-like. He is known to be fixed to his conscience and he tells Wolsey “…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 (22). Ironically, it is More’s conscience that leads him to chaos and forsaking it could have saved him. More tells his colleagues that he cannot approve of Henry’s marriage because his conscience tells him otherwise (22). King Henry eventually hears this and meets with Thomas. It
He tells his prosecutors that “the law requires more than assumption; the law requires fact” and that they “cannot lawfully harm him further” (131). Despite his lawful arguments, he was too naïve to grasp that the case has been over and decided before it officially began. Norfolk even tells Thomas “the death of Kings is not in question”, yet Thomas replies “nor mine…until I’m proven guilty (p151). Moreover, every moment until his sentence, Thomas depended on the law. He breaks Norfolk mid-sentence and tells him that he is allowed final words before the sentence