Everyone has a price
A motif in the play is the idea that every person has a price. Many characters believe that everyone, no matter their religion, financial background or social status can be bribed and bought with the right price. While there are characters who deny this, in the end it is proven that they have a price as well but not a material one but rather a spiritual one.
Symbol for corruption
The most important symbol in the play is an expensive Italian silver cup that passes from one person to another. The cup symbolizes bribery, and the first person who receives the cup is More, given to him as a "gift" from a woman before she asked him for a political favor (which, FYI, More saw through and didn't let the bribe sway/change his ruling, which wasn't in the woman's favor). After More recognizes that his "gift" was in fact a bribe, he gives the cup away to his friend, Richard Rich, who is more than willing to take it. Rich reveals that he will use the cup to elevate his social status by buying himself beautiful clothes that will make him appear even wealthier.
Clothes
Clothes are another important element in the play because they also have a symbolic element. The clothes in the play are important because they stand for the financial class a person belonged to. The common people would look at the clothes a person would wear and then decide whether that person was wealthy or elevated in status or not. Rich understands the importance of wearing fine clothing, shown by his decision to sell the cup to buy himself beautiful clothes.
The Prince
An important motif in the play is the presence of an important book, entitled The Prince, written by the famous Italian philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli. The book was written for those in political power who wanted to gain more power and status, and discusses moral and financial corruption in the society. The characters in A Man for All Seasons often refer to The Prince or Machiavelli whenever they talk about a person being bought with money. Thus, Machiavelli and his book are important elements in the play because of their tie with corruption and selling out oneself for power, status, and wealth.
Alice
Margaret, or "Meg," is More’s daughter who represents feminine power, ability, and boldness. She comes on the stage while talking with another learned man and they discuss serious matters from the book entitled The Prince. Margaret is an important character but is also a symbol, and she is different from the other women of her time because of her education and intelligence. In fact, Bolt intentionally shows his audience that her Latin is even better than King Henry's, and Margaret often shares her opinions and makes decisions for herself. She is learned and does not hesitate to speak her mind and she has more freedom than other women during her time. Thus, in many ways, Margaret represents feminism and is a symbol that stands for the power of women.
