“the Play a Man for All Seasons Demonstrates That in the End Every Man Has His Price�? Essay Example

In the play A Man For All Seasons the character Richard Rich states early that “every man has his price.” For most of the characters in the play this is true. However, there are exceptions to this statement. Sir Thomas More, even when faced with impending doom refused to compromise his conscience. Others in the play did not show such bravery and commitment to their moral standard. Those that did not show such bravery are Richard Rich who betrayed More by giving falls witness against him in court, Thomas Cromwell who facilitated Mores downfall with a minimum of guilt and The Common Man who just does what he has to survive. Richard Rich is a highly ambitions man who’s soul desire is to be wealthy and he will go to great lengths to achieve his goal. He gives in to his desire for wealth when he accepts a bribe from Cromwell to commit perjury so Cromwell could sentence More to death. Despite his selfishness he shows his more human side when he battles with his conscience will he sells out his friend More. More shows great interest in Rich and seeing he is a very ambitious man he worries about his moral fiber and tries to quell his petty selfish urges to gain wealth and status by offering him a job as a teacher. Rich highlights Mores own interest in teaching as more tries to guide Rich down a different path. However Rich is not the only person to commit such deeds to gain wealth and status, Cromwell the facilitator of Mores down fall and bribed Rich to commit perjury.
Thomas Cromwell is seen as the villain in this and fills the role quit well. Conspiring to kill Sir Thomas More and bribing Richard Rich to betray the friend and mentor he had in More. He is driven by a need for wealth and status, however he is the only character not to show any guilt for having people killed in the name of the king. He believes that these things have to be done, that the ends justify the means. Although Cromwell and rich do what they do for their own personal gain there are those such