The Use of Characters in A Man For All Seasons by Robert Bolt

The Use of Characters in A Man For All Seasons by Robert Bolt

In Robert Bolt’s “A Man For All Seasons”, there is a significant key to the use of characters. Bolt uses the characters in this play very well and in an unique fashion. Bolt has the character the common man, who takes the roles as many other characters. This is what makes this play special in its own way.

Bolt uses the common man as other characters which makes the reader really think. He uses the common man as the narrator, servant, publican or innkeeper, boatman, foreman of the jury, and the executioner. The common man is used in this play as a symbol of just common everyday people with common jobs. These people are not of high class just common people. The common man is a “plain simple man who just wants to keep out of trouble”(Bryfonski,Haris 89). All these characters play a significant part in this play about Sir Thomas More and King Henry VIII.

The narrator “appears throughout the play and comments caustically on the actions”(Hochman 365)that are happening. The narrator tells the reader important information that helps us first to understand things that are happening and second to figure out that the common man is playing more than one character in this play. He has probably the most significant role for understanding this play.

The servant’s role in this play is to portray a nark. He helps give out information that may or may not hurt Sir Thomas More in this play. He is not really biased but, he is unaware of the things he says. The servant does not lie to the people he answers questions for because he is just a common man. He does not realize the toil that his words could inflict. He just does his job and asks no questions.

The commo...

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... his life at the hands of a common executioner.

The common man plays many significant roles in this play much as a common man does in life. There are many different levels or degrees of power and as in the play, can be used for good or evil. For those who try to use power to accomplish evil, their sufferings will be their destiny. Those who try to use power for good and fairness may not be rewarded with long life, but will most likely be rewarded with an eternity of happiness. It is not always the quantity of life, but the quality.

Bibliography:

Bolt, Robert. A Man For All Seasons. New York: Random House, Inc., 1962.

Bryfonski,Dedria,Harris,Laurie Lanzen ed. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Detroit: Gale Research Co., (1980):87-92.

Hochman, Stanley ed. McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama. McGraw Hill, Inc.., (1984): 364-365.