The Power of Corruption
In “Man of All Seasons” by Robert Bolt, demonstrates acts of political corruption that people are capable of committing to receive and gain power. Power is difficult to receive if others do not agree or respect one another. In the play of Man of all seasons three characters demonstrated malicious acts of manipulation and disloyalty. Three men who use to corruption to gain wealth plus power are Richard Rich, Cromwell and the King of England Henry the VIII. While other characters like Thomas More stand as a reference point of selfhood and prudence. In the beginning of the pay Richard Rich was not corrupted but shortly after More denied him a higher ranking position he turned his back on More for wealth and power. Thomas …show more content…
(Bolt 9).
In due time Rich began to work for Cromwell in exchange that Rich helps Cromwell bring More down. Cromwell is using Rich to get to More, Rich is aware but does not care because he is obsessed with his life being successful. Rich lost his innocence once he joined Cromwell and King Henry the VIII on taking an innocent man down. “I’ve lost my innocence” (Bolt 74). Seeing how serious Cromwell and King Henry the VIII were about bringing More down, Rich began to feel guilty by turning his back on More.
Rich felt that he betrayed More but continues to betray More because he thought it would not bother him as much as it did later on. If More gave King Henry the VIII the blessing to divorce his wife and remarry a woman who can give him a son, he would be going against his beliefs. That is why More decided to stay silent because he did not want to go against the King and he was fighting for his own beliefs. Rich thought that eventually More will give up, but More was not easily fooled like he was, More did not care about wealth or power. At the beginning of the play More had gave an Italian silver cup he had received as a gift from a lady. Rich lied and told Cromwell that the lady was bribing Thomas More and the reason why More gave the Italian silver cup to him was because he felt guilty of the …show more content…
His main goal throughout the play was to bring Thomas Cromwell down. He was the main person responsible for the acts that were taken towards More. Cromwell purpose to get More to his down fall was to bring him to support King Henry divorce. Cromwell would play both sides to get information regarding More, he would do anything that was necessary to be successful. The main person he used to bring More to his downfall was Richard Rich. Cromwell even offered Richard Rich the York Office position to get more information about Thomas More from him, he did not offer the position to Rich because he thought he was worthy of the job but because he was bribing Rich to side with him and the
In “Man of All Seasons” by Robert Bolt, demonstrates acts of political corruption that people are capable of committing to receive and gain power. Power is difficult to receive if others do not agree or respect one another. In the play of Man of all seasons three characters demonstrated malicious acts of manipulation and disloyalty. Three men who use to corruption to gain wealth plus power are Richard Rich, Cromwell and the King of England Henry the VIII. While other characters like Thomas More stand as a reference point of selfhood and prudence. In the beginning of the pay Richard Rich was not corrupted but shortly after More denied him a higher ranking position he turned his back on More for wealth and power. Thomas …show more content…
(Bolt 9).
In due time Rich began to work for Cromwell in exchange that Rich helps Cromwell bring More down. Cromwell is using Rich to get to More, Rich is aware but does not care because he is obsessed with his life being successful. Rich lost his innocence once he joined Cromwell and King Henry the VIII on taking an innocent man down. “I’ve lost my innocence” (Bolt 74). Seeing how serious Cromwell and King Henry the VIII were about bringing More down, Rich began to feel guilty by turning his back on More.
Rich felt that he betrayed More but continues to betray More because he thought it would not bother him as much as it did later on. If More gave King Henry the VIII the blessing to divorce his wife and remarry a woman who can give him a son, he would be going against his beliefs. That is why More decided to stay silent because he did not want to go against the King and he was fighting for his own beliefs. Rich thought that eventually More will give up, but More was not easily fooled like he was, More did not care about wealth or power. At the beginning of the play More had gave an Italian silver cup he had received as a gift from a lady. Rich lied and told Cromwell that the lady was bribing Thomas More and the reason why More gave the Italian silver cup to him was because he felt guilty of the …show more content…
His main goal throughout the play was to bring Thomas Cromwell down. He was the main person responsible for the acts that were taken towards More. Cromwell purpose to get More to his down fall was to bring him to support King Henry divorce. Cromwell would play both sides to get information regarding More, he would do anything that was necessary to be successful. The main person he used to bring More to his downfall was Richard Rich. Cromwell even offered Richard Rich the York Office position to get more information about Thomas More from him, he did not offer the position to Rich because he thought he was worthy of the job but because he was bribing Rich to side with him and the