A Man For All Seasons :: essays research papers

What characteristics should a hero possess? There is no particular answer to this question since one can be considered a ordinary person even he actually commits his whole life to the people or even sacrifices his own life for the people while one can considered a hero by contributing a benefit to the people. In the epic poem "Beowulf", the main character Beowulf is considered a hero by the people because he is courageous, intelligent, and physically stalwart. A fictional character can easily be honored as a hero because it is only the author's assignment to make up a character that has one or some of the traits that will quality for a hero. However, being able to find a hero that really exists in the real world is a difficult task since a person has to effectively show the people that he possesses one or several characteristics of a hero. After reading the drama "A Man For All Seasons" by Robert Bolt, the main character Sir Thomas More, former Lord Chancellor of England, can be considered a hero as the historical background makes his actions very distinctive. As More was a person born in England at the time near the end of the Renaissance and the beginning of the Reformation in England. More was a nobleman, lawyer, humanist, writer, and he was also a long-time friend and favorite of the king in England that time, Henry VIII. More became the Lord Chancellor when Cardinal Wosley died in 1529. He is the one that nominates More to be the next Lord Chancellor to Henry VIII. As England had a distinct social class system and was ruled by an absolute monarch during that time, it made More a person that was highly educated, well-known, and politically powerful. These are all the basic characteristics that a hero should have other than big muscles or fighting skills. The milieu and government system in England helped to shape More as a hero. Due to the fact that England is a Catholic country, most of the people in England are Roman Catholics, including King Henry VIII and More. In the drama, Chapuys was a diplomat who suggested that "More is a true son of the Church". More also attempted to serve two masters, Henry and God, but this is proven to be a failure because at the end of the play More can choose to serve his King keep his life and lose his soul, or serve God to keep his soul and lose his life.