The definition of a martyr is a person who willingly suffers death rather than renounce his or her religion. When Sir Thomas More died in July of 1535, he became a martyr. In the play A Man for All Seasons, author Robert Bolt shows us his views on how More came to his death . In this play, Thomas Cromwell, Richard Rich, King Henry VIII, and Sir Thomas More himself are responsible for his death. Although it could be argued that many more people in Sir Thomas More’s life had a part in contributing to his death, these four characters had the greatest part in eventually bringing him to his death.
Some people may say that Cromwell and Rich were just pawns in the King’s plot, however they can’t possibly argue that they weren’t in control of their actions. Cromwell and Rich are essentially responsible for the final prosecution of More. Together, they are guilty of letting their inner want and need for power cloud their consciences, which led them to bring down a good man of Thomas More. More, being a smart man, could beat them in a court of law. Rather than fighting More with the law, Rich and Cromwell decided to break it. Rich lied under oath sending More to his deathbed, and he responded, “I am sorrier for your perjury than my peril”(156). Cromwell, in his quest for power, saw a doorway of opportunity where he could bring down More and in the process benefit his own social and economic status. As More stated, “Silence gives consent” (152) and Cromwell’s silence during Rich’s illegitimate testimony makes him an accessory to the crime and therefore just as guilty as Rich. Together, Rich and Cromwell are partners in the crime, whether they are accomplices to King Henry or for their own reasons. Either way, they are still responsibl...
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...and, “I don’t believe this had to happen”(144). At least twice Sir Thomas More made poor choices and put himself into bad situations in the play, which ultimately took him closer and closer to his death.
Sir Thomas More never had to die. He was the only person that really understood the implications that complying with the King’s desires would cause and yet he still ended up in the most undesirable position one could imagine. Many people caused the death of Sir Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons, however those that are most guilty are King Henry, Thomas Cromwell, Richard Rich, and Sir Thomas More. Who of these is most guilty is a matter of opinion, but that these people are truly and completely guilty of ending Sir Thomas More’s life is a fact. From King to commoner each of these people played a vital role in the destruction of one man’s honest and righteous life.
Oliver Cromwell was a well known military dictator. He helped the Parliamentarians win the First Civil War and was named Lord Protector. He died in 1658 but many people still remember him as one of the best leaders in history although others believe he was a harsh tyrant and always wanted too much power for himself. Throughout the years, numerous historians have changed their views on whether he was a good leader or not. This work will look at three interpretations from different people on who Cromwell was and what he was like and compare them.
Sir Thomas More, “The History of King Richard III” in Richard III A Source Book, Keith
Sir Thomas More was an English lawyer and best known as the councilor to King Henry VIII before he took the throne. More was married with children and a full on family man who also was active in his community. More held many different positions of great status in England and held himself to an equally high standard of judgment to always live out a life of great morality. Sir Thomas More’s fought to uphold the dignity and beliefs of the holy Church in a time of adversity and attack upon the Roman Catholic Church.
In a letter from Henry VIII to Robert Aske, Henry talks about his ‘faithful and obedient subjects’ and in another how Aske and the rebels should be ‘repentant’7. This is supported by a further letter from Henry VIII to the Earl of Derby, where he acknowledges that the rebel’s actions were ‘proceeded from ignorance’ . This reveals that Henry knew that he couldn’t punish all of the 40,000 rebels and so by giving the rebels and pardon that came with conditions, he was able to control the actions of the rebels and show his authority without killing anyone. All of Henry’s letters were written at the end of the Pilgrimage of Grace, which means that he had the benefit of being from the time of the uprising and so he has direct knowledge and as they are letters they are not for a great number of people to see and so it can be said to give a snapshot of the rebellion. However, it may have been exaggerated to show Henry in a more merciful light. This shows that the Pilgrimage of Grace was revealing because the pardon for the rebels came with conditions, which was the first time it had happened in Henry VIII’s
Paine’s life in England gave little indication of his later successes. Born in 1737 in Thetford, England as the son of a lower-middle class Quaker, he was not expected to become an important, extraordinary, or outstanding person. After a variety of unsuccessful jobs, he eventually became an excise officer, a person whose job it is to collect certain kinds of taxes and prevent smuggling. This job was also not prosperous. He was fired from this position twice, once for leading a strike for higher wages in 1772. While living in England, Paine married twice. The first of these wives was Mary Lambert, who, one year after they were married, died in childbirth along with their child. Eleven years later, in 1771, he remarried. Elizabeth Olive, his second wife, and he separated legally in 1774, and Paine moved to London. While living in London that year, Paine met Benjamin Franklin, who helped him secure a job as a journalist in Philadelphia.
The official definition of a martyr is “a person who sacrifices something of great value for the sake of principle”; therefore Jon Hus is undoubtedly a martyr (Merriam-Webster 1). His radical ideas caught the attention of thousands of followers while simultaneously undermining core practices of the Church. His beliefs led to what is known as the Hussite Reformation and ultimately, his death. John Hus’s death was ordered by the Church because his unorthodox principles threatened to disperse or even diminish some of the Church’s power and would cause an abundance of changes within the religious system as a whole during the 15th century, and possibly forever. The fears of the Church would later prove to be legitimate concerns but their efforts to prevent these changes from occurring failed, and not only did they prevent these changes from happening, but the Church’s attempts to get rid of John Hus’s ideals only “fanned the flames his messages ignited” (Joyner 52). Now, centuries after his death, John Hus is still revered by many as “one of the first true reformers of the church” (Joyner 42).
...the murder of one man. With the growing support and power of the Merry Men, they are now capable of finding alternatives routes in achieving satisfactory outcomes. If Robin was to accept the baron’s offer he would find himself in the grace of King Richard and there would be potential for great change without the means of unlawful activity. Although accepting the baron’s offer comes with potential threats, the opportunities outweigh the risks.
Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 - February 18, 1546) was a Christian theologian, Augustinian monk, professor, pastor, and church reformer whose teachings inspired the Lutheran Reformation and deeply influenced the doctrines of Protestant and other Christian traditions. Luther began the Protestant Reformation with the publication of his Ninety-Five Theses on October 31, 1517. In this publication, he attacked the Church's sale of indulgences. He advocated a theology that rested on God's gracious activity in Jesus Christ, rather than in human works. Nearly all Protestants trace their history back to Luther in one way or another. Luther's relationship to philosophy is complex and should not be judged only by his famous statement that "reason is the devil's whore."
I chose to write about Saint Thomas Aquinas because I have heard of his life and found it
Martin Luther, the founding father of Protestantism, was born on November 10, 1843, in Eisleben – once a Saxon town but now located in the Saxony-Anhalt region of Germany – to parents Hans and Margarethe Luder (Luther). At the age of seven his never-ending journey to find a greater understanding of life and religion had begun. His parents had enrolled him in different schools around Mansfield, Magdeburg, and Eisenach where he would study the trivium: grammar, rhetoric, and logic. Also, Luther was expected to understand the basics of Christianity which may have been the key experience that lead him into a life of religious understanding.
When More died it sent a message to the public that the Kin was wrong in what he was doing. As More died in front of a lot of people, it certainly showed to the public that it was honorable and he put his point across in the clear way. “….but because I would not bend to the marriage” (pg. 78) More is simply stating that he wouldn’t agree with the King for the clear intention of staying alive.
Few leaders of rebellions are seen as demonic and monstrous, but because of Oliver Cromwell’s antics against higher authority, he is depicted as analogous to Satan from Paradise Lost. Oliver Cromwell led the prominent rebellion against King Charles I, which John Milton uses to correspond to Satan’s rebellion against God. Both figures want to rebel against higher authority so that they can establish what they consider to be a better society. Cromwell and Satan trust the idea that the masses should have equality with a supreme ruler. So when the Parliament rebelled against Charles I because he wanted to reign over England without a Parliament, the English Civil War was sparked. Oliver Cromwell became the leader of the Parliamentary Army, and eventually won the Civil War. Once the war ended, King Charles was killed and only four years later the Protectorate was founded. Many scholars distinguish Oliver Cromwell as “one of England’s great historical figures: a brave bad man...From the moment Cromwell’s body was exhumed and mutilated in 1661, debate has raged about his motives and his character”(Poyntz 1). Oliver Cromwell can
Claudius “is the most modern character” that “has no reservations” (Hamlet, Tragedy) when he murders his own brother so that he may gain the crown and the queen. He removes of a great and honorable king to please his greed. He removes his brother, the good of the country, and the pleasure of many to satisfy his own ambition. Claudius only cares about himself. Realizing it or not, most individuals, at one point or another, will be motivated by gluttony. Most, however, will not have the willpower and anxiety that Claudius shows. This is partially because of the alterations of the times. In the historical time that Shakespeare wrote the play, killing was profoundly ...
Martin Luther The Great Reformer Martin Luther The Great Reformer is a story told by others who knew this great man named Martin Luther. Some of these people followed him while others wanted to persecute him because he dared to challenge the church and its practices. This book is an account of Martin Luther's life and how he came to the realization that the Roman Catholic Church had some reforming to do.