Integrity and Corruption in A Man for All Seasons Anonymous 11th Grade

A Man for All Seasons, written by Robert Bolt, is known for the illustration of opposing ideologies and the subjective views of morality. In 'A Man for All Seasons' integrity and corruption are overarching themes which are involved in the development of the play's characters. The conflict between theses two ideas are illustrated as Bolt presents integrity in the form of Thomas More, a lawyer who seeks to preserve his 'soul' while maintaining his invariant opinion of the state concerning the affairs of the royal marriage. While More represents integrity, the society in the form of the other characters in the play are More's foil. The characters being portrayed as the foil of More represent the corruption of the society, being the ones who are opportunistic and expedient in their actions, further providing the conflict with More's integrity in the process.

During the beginning of the play the conflict between integrity and corruption is introduced by More's interaction with Wolsey about the politics of the Marriage of King Henry VIII. The conflict is presented as Wolsey discusses with More how they "might influence His Holiness's answer". Using the euphemism "influence" a connotation of discrete corruption is created emphasizing...