The Sound of Silence
Thomas More’s defense throughout his turmoil is that silence can never be a signatory of dissent, but only an unspoken form of tacit consent. Ultimately, a ringer must be called in to commit perjury in order to manipulate the evidence against More to gain a conviction. More’s own staunch conviction that silence is never equitable with dissent from a legal perspective provides a framework for debate after viewing about the shift in perspective and attitude toward silence can be interpreted as consent rather dissent.
The Power of the Individual
This theme is examined in two completely different ways. From one perspective, the individual represents the assumed collective in the power of the person of King Henry VIII. Henry truly believes that he is the embodiment of all knowledge, wisdom and power in the country. To a point, of course, he is right. But even to that point, the knowledge, wisdom and power exerted has nothing to do with him as an individual; the minute he dies all that power is immediately transferred to someone else. Thomas More does not possess the same knowledge, wisdom and power of the King, but it is real and not illusory like Henry’s. Thomas More eventually loses the power even to control his own existence, but ultimately as an individual expression of authority, he is revealed to be at the very least on the same level as Henry VIII. After all, even today one cannot fully understand Henry without a knowledge of More.
Family versus Service
More finds himself at odds not only with the King, but with members of his own family. His daughter tries to convince him to sign the oath that will save his life under the proposition that remaining silent is merely heroic dissent. Of course, we know how More views his silence on the issue, but his daughter remains vigorous in her pursuit of what appears to be not a rejection of character and truth, but a rejection of her father’s own choice to become a Christ-like martyr to suffering. In her view—as well as her mother’s view—the suffering is pointless because More is hardly a martyr to humanity like Jesus.
Law
More openly states he does not completely understand God’s law that it is too subtle, but that he is a forester in Man’s law. Roper says he would cut down the law to get to the Devil, but More says he would give the devil himself benefit of the law for his “own safety’s sake.” This can mean God’s law is up for too much interpretation for it to be used against man, and that God’s judgement should wait for God himself as More says, “God can arrest him.” He later, during his trial, tries to use the law to protect himself as he has done nothing directly against it. Law is obviously an important tool in this story. Perhaps Bolt means for us to not use God’s law to hurt or condemn others because it is not our place or in our ability to correctly do so. You can punish someone for their actions according to law but not on their beliefs of thoughts. That creates a cult mentality.
Injustice
Even though Thomas is a good man, which seems to be agreed on by most of the characters, he is beheaded. On the other hand as told by the Common Man, Richard Rich becomes a “Knight and Solicitor General, a Baron and Lord Chancellor, and died in his bed.” despite the fact of his perjury. The Common Man says he too died in his bed and wishes the same to the audience. At the end of the book, he encourages us to not make “trouble” as More did so as to stay alive. Standing up for your believes generally end up bad in this book. It is up to interpretation for how Bolt wants the reader to take this. On one hand, he obviously respects More for his choice, but he also doesn’t think common people would do the same.
