Sir Thomas More, born in 1478 to a justice of the King’s Bench,is credited with having written one of the first Dystopian/ Utopian novels. Utopia, originally penned in Latin, recounts the politics, government, and societies from Raphael Hythloday’s world travels.
However, Hythloday was more than a simple world traveler, instead the book classifies him as an philosopher. More spends time building up the character of this philosopher, establishing his credibility by noting that he was not “ ignorant of the Latin tongue, but is eminently learned in the Greek” who “ran the same hazard as Americus Vesputius” ( More 10). Even more impressive than voyaging with the man who lent America its name, Hythloday has also managed to horde a library along his travels.
Other than these few facts, the author reveals little about the traveler. Hythloday is an enigma, much like the Utopia he describes. More mentions that Hythloday “ had a sunburned face, a long beard and a cloak hanging loosely from his shoulders; from his face and dress," (More 5). Although the story tries to give him credibility, the man’s rants and appearance undermines the authority that had been previously established. One of his first rants was about refusing to work with princes; later, he rants about the laws concerning robbery. …show more content…
Execution as punishment is not only unjust, it also endangers those being robbed. He argues that if is convicted of robbery “ as if he were guilty of murder, this will naturally incite him to kill the person whom otherwise he would only have robbed; since, if the punishment is the same, there is more security, and less danger of discovery, when he that can best make it is put out of the way; so that terrifying thieves too much provokes them to cruelty” (More 20). Hythloday would rather find a more rational punishment for robbery that ultimately benefits those who have been orbed and allows for the robber to
However, Hythloday was more than a simple world traveler, instead the book classifies him as an philosopher. More spends time building up the character of this philosopher, establishing his credibility by noting that he was not “ ignorant of the Latin tongue, but is eminently learned in the Greek” who “ran the same hazard as Americus Vesputius” ( More 10). Even more impressive than voyaging with the man who lent America its name, Hythloday has also managed to horde a library along his travels.
Other than these few facts, the author reveals little about the traveler. Hythloday is an enigma, much like the Utopia he describes. More mentions that Hythloday “ had a sunburned face, a long beard and a cloak hanging loosely from his shoulders; from his face and dress," (More 5). Although the story tries to give him credibility, the man’s rants and appearance undermines the authority that had been previously established. One of his first rants was about refusing to work with princes; later, he rants about the laws concerning robbery. …show more content…
Execution as punishment is not only unjust, it also endangers those being robbed. He argues that if is convicted of robbery “ as if he were guilty of murder, this will naturally incite him to kill the person whom otherwise he would only have robbed; since, if the punishment is the same, there is more security, and less danger of discovery, when he that can best make it is put out of the way; so that terrifying thieves too much provokes them to cruelty” (More 20). Hythloday would rather find a more rational punishment for robbery that ultimately benefits those who have been orbed and allows for the robber to