Student Question
What is the significance of Sir Thomas More's statement about oaths in Robert Bolt's play A Man for All Seasons?
"When a man takes an oath, Meg, he is holding his own self in his own hands. Like Water. And, if he opens his fingers then - he needn't hope to find himself again."
Quick answer:
Sir Thomas More's statement about oaths in A Man for All Seasons signifies the importance of personal integrity and conscience. It highlights More's determination to uphold his principles, his respect for his daughter's understanding, and his view of the soul as precious and fragile. The metaphor also reflects existentialist ideas, emphasizing individual responsibility for one's destiny.
At one point in Robert Bolt’s drama A Man for All Seasons, Sir Thomas More says to his daughter,
“When a man takes an oath, Meg, he is holding his own self in his own hands. Like Water. And, if he opens his fingers then -- he needn't hope to find himself again.”
This is a significant statement for a number of reasons, including the following:
- It shows that More feels a need to explain himself to his family in general and to his daughter in particular.
- It shows that More, unlike many fathers of his day, takes his daughter seriously enough to try to explain himself to her. He treats her as a reasonable, intelligent being who is capable of understanding and appreciating an explanation.
- It shows that More is determined to follow the course he has set for himself, even in the face of the pressure, concern, and anxiety of his family.
- It shows that More is especially concerned with his own spirit – “his own self” – and that his conscience is highly important to him.
- It shows that More is operating not only as a Christian but as a kind of existentialist. Existentialism, which was a much-discussed philosophy during the time when this play was written, holds that each person holds his own destiny in his own hands. Each person decides his own fate.
- It implies that the soul or self, like a handful of water, is precious and needs to be protected, not wasted.
- It shows that More regards this moment of decision as a major turning-point in his life.
- It shows More’s ability to use metaphorical phrasing to explain himself as memorably and forcefully as possible.
For all these reasons, then, this is a highly significant moment in Bolt’s play and in More’s existence.
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