The Common Man

Thursday, 28 January 2010

5:52 PM

Central character, who possesses qualities and behaviours that are 'common' to us all. Hence, he is
US.

He steps from the action of the pay and addresses the audience without disrupting the play's action:
this is a dramatic device/technique called the 'alienation effect'. A character turns from the action
and speaks directly to us. This forms a bridge between the drama and the audience that is personal
and more intimate than our experience when merely observing. In drama, reference is given to 'the
fourth wall' -

The CM receives money from all sorts of people and does quite well to keep his mouth shut and to
tell people what they already know. He is astute and a survivor.

What is it that the CM alludes to that will be asked of STMore? Allegiance? An oath? More wants to
retain a strong moral compass, dedication to his belief, and his sense of self…

More is described by Bolt as having "an adamantine sense of self". Self = conscience? The part of
his identity that will face God. Self = soul? Is one's 'self' identifiable as one's spiritual identity? (If we
possess a spiritual identity?)

More's faith defines body (physical), intellect (mind), and spirit (conscience). Conscience is that
part of us that yearns for God.

The common man suggest that this is not a wise philosophy. Is he correct?
Is virtue worth the effort?

The common man is illustrating, in Machiavellian taste, the dangers of falling virtuous in a human,
imperfect world. The temptation for many to simply take advantage of this obsession and More's
fear of not passing judgement by The Lord when the time comes. This dilemma confronts Sir Thomas
more as it taps into both the moral and religious feelings found in England during the 16th century.

Effective words add weight to all that you write.

The CM and Rich are not constrained, as is More, by moral values. Instead, they are able to shift
their allegiance according to necessity, and their choices and actions according to expedience.
Wolsey criticises More's 'moral squint' and reveals his own hypocrisy, since he is a cardinal willing to
acquiesce (decide to turn a blind eye, support regardless of complications) with the King's desire to
divorce Catherine, and for the sake of social and political convenience.

The CM becomes the Boatman: (water is a motif - a recurring image that connotes meaning in the
text. In the new version of Rome & Juliet, man scenes have a Christian cross within them; in Blade
Runner, photographs are commonplace...they are motifs that take on meaning - symbolism.) The
Boatman understands the river; he can move safely across its width and breadth. The river
represents life and its ever-changing pressures, expectations, and nature. Rules can change, people
change, also, and to navigate successfully and live a long lide, one cannot be bound by intransigent
moral values. Surely, this is true.

Act 1 Page 1
 Roper
Thursday, 25 March 2010
2:17 PM

Represents those (many of us) who are not certain of our 'principles', so this week we do this, next
week we do that, and the week after…?
More, on the other hand, remains true to his word. He holds an oath in the highest possible regard:
he says that when a man takes an oath, he makes a contract with God, and God will not break his
side of the bargain, We are not so thorough. We break oaths every day. Marriages fail,

Act 1 Page 2
 Quotes
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
11:55 AM

Rich: 'but every man has his price' p2

CM: "...because some day someone's going to ask him for something that he wants to keep; and
he'll be out of pocket' p9 (The CM will not be out of practice, and neither will Rich.)

Wolsey to More: 'If you could just see the facts flat on, without the moral squint; with just a little
common sense, you could have been a statesman' p10

More: '...I believe, when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of public
duties...they lead their country by a short route to chaos' p12

Quotes Page 3
 Constructing an Essay Response - A Man For All Seasons
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
2:36 PM

Construct a chart: Boat, Tree, Grid? Maybe a fish?

Grid:
1. Check topic and reduce it to its essence
Prevents Roper from Retains his opinion To allow himself to be removed from the
marrying Meg from family and society that truly needed a person like him
friends because of his selfish view of conscience.
Standing up to Henry More's Selfishness Causes his family to suffer (physical, social and
and becoming a Martyr psychological)
His defence of risqué
statements re: the
divorce at his trial

2. Work out the best statements, about four

Standing up to Henry and
becoming a Martyr
His defence of risqué
statements re: the divorce at his
trial
Retains his opinion from
family and friends
More's Selfishness Causes his family to suffer
(physical, social and
psychological)

3. Order them in order of importance

3. Standing up to Henry and
becoming a Martyr
1. His defence of risqué
statements re: the divorce at
his trial
4. Retains his opinion
from family and friends
More's Selfishness 2. Causes his family to suffer
(physical, social and
psychological)

Writing Techniques Page 4

 Essay Writing
Thursday, 15 April 2010
8:43 AM

• Make a list of 6(?) topics you think are relevant to the case.

• Make another list of the play's central moments of developments that MUST be mentioned or used in this essay (a
lifeline on the Embankment; the laws of England as a forest of trees that shelter us…; a man's oath; etc.) for these
will be the pins that tie your response and make it strong.

• Reduce the list of 6(?) topics to 3-4. These will be your paragraph topics.

• You are ready to start writing now.

The introduction is not a list of topics you wish to discuss. Its purpose is to show your reader that you
comprehend the text, that you appreciate the wider implications of the topic (that it is an insightful assessment
of man's ability to be strong, virtuous, and true; but at the same time, gives insight into the propensity (natural
inclination/learning) we have to surrender to our passions; to take the road most travelled by, to follow the
others when we might chart our own course), and that you hold a strong point of view in relation to the topic.

P1
S1: Generate a highly accurate statement about the text.
S2: Place the point of topic within the framework of the text: connect the two.
S3: Approach the topic and define its key terms.
S4: Contextualise the topic in relation to the text.
S5: State your contention.

P2-4/5
S1: Strong (short(ish) 1.5-2 lines) assertion/statement
S2: Elaborate, add and develop context, show your comprehension and knowledge.
S3-5: Evidence and discussion
S6: Make some sensible observations about the evidence in relation to the topic.
S7: Link the discussion to the contention: show its relevance
S8: (optional) Bridge your discussion to the next paragraph

Conclusion

The conclusion should be concise, short, to the point, crisp, and strongly worded. Be sure of yourself and assert
that what you have said is accurate and right. It does not 'argue the case' because you have already done that, but
it does assure the reader that your 'argument' is valid.

In many ways, the best conclusions echo introductions but are not the same as introductions. The sentences you
use reflect and support what you said in the introduction; they say the same thing, but they say it DIFFERENTLY. In
my view, three sentences (maybe four) are enough to conclude any argument.

S1: Generic statement about 'More's essential difficulty' (for instance) or 'the Common Man's symbolic
value' (for instance)
S2: Comment of the writer's intentions or achievement; and the important lessons we take away from the
experience.
S3: Rephrase your contention and make your position/stance.

Writing Techniques Page 5

 S3: Rephrase your contention and make your position/stance.
S4: Finish with a sentence that contains a (great) quote that has particular relevance to your topic.

What you MUST do:

1. Show your understanding of human nature, motivation, and Bolt's purpose
2. Use excellent quotes in an integrated mannar (eg. Embed them in sentences and never leave them in
isolation)

"At their final meeting, More tells Meg, 'You have always known the firstlings of my heart,' and reassures
her of his love. He also counsels her to 'Be not afraid. Death comes to us all. Even when we are born, he
stands nearby,' and this is achieved without unnecessary sentiment or anguish, as father and daughter bid
each other farewell."

3. Write neatly and take your time.

What NOT to do:

1. Summarise the plot or 'tell the story'
2. Say (after a quote) 'This quote by More means that…' Or before a quote: 'When More quotes….'

1. More is a foolish man. Discuss.

2. The play teaches us more about selfishness than it does about selfhood. Do you agree?
3. The Common Man is the real 'man for all seasons'. Do you agree?
4. More may be naïve, but without people of principle, there is little hope for any of us. Discuss.

Look at each topic carefully and quickly assess which of them will give you a chance to speak broadly and
knowledgeably about the text. Look at key words and conceptualise their meaning and where they might lead you
when you begin discussing them and the implications.

Choose one and draft a response.

Start with the body paragraphs: decide on your content.
 Essay Draft 1

Writing Techniques Page 6

 Essay Writing 2
Monday, 19 April 2010
1:47 PM

As well as analysing, exploring, and discussing important themes, characters, and ideas in A Man for
All Seasons, try to make connections between these moments and the author's purpose.

Read the preface again because it does reveal clearly how and why Bolt constructed More as he did.
You may discover that the play is also 'a play for all seasons', in so far as it places a man in a position
where any choice will, in a sense, be fatal. Moreover, it is relevant because it looks closely at the
nature of raw, political power and the liberties taken by those who exercise it.

Some linkage and commentary on these associated interpretations and associations with the text
can be included at the end of body paragraphs and certainly in your conclusion.

Body para:
Strong and not overly long topic sentence: 1.5-2 lines.
Elaborate and develop that sentence, its key word or idea or theme.
Look to support the assertion with appropriate evidence WITHIN the social, political, and religious
contexts of the novel and the time in which it is set.

75% of the discussion will focus on the text, characters, action and ideas.
25% on why and how Bolt has structured and supported major ideas in the text, and reference to
social, political, and religious contexts of the play and the time in which it is set.

Finally, be sure to consider and make sense of Bolt's raison d'etre in the conclusion.

'how a good man can be sacrificed upon the altar of an egocentric monarch's pride/vanity'

The Common Man links our world to the world of drama. In this way, Bolt's use of the Alienation
Effect compels us to see the drama for what it is (actors playing the part of characters in a story that
unfolded centuries ago), and to remind us of our personal failing and moral weaknesses in a
contemporary world context.

The CM should be a rich source of discussion that explores the relationship between More et al and
English society of the 16th Century.

- The Century of the CM (just like all the other centuries…)

- Dangerous times; life was cheap
- Sycophantic inveigles, schemes, manipulations, surreptitious, cloying, opportunistic
-
Construct a number (3?) of shorter pieces (Micro essays) of 300 words each that fulfill the
requirements

Writing Techniques Page 7

 Sir Thomas More
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
12:10 PM

Bolt casts More as a Christ-like figure in terms of honesty, integrity and perseverance in the face of
suffering. Bolt admires this man.

Themes Page 8
 "Buy a man with Suffering"
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
12:11 PM

Page 2

To suffer to "purchase" something, such as the story of Christ.

1. You can buy a man with suffering to purchase the redemption or salvation of someone else.

2. The only way to turn to God is to suffer. A man's spirit can only be saved if he has experienced
suffering.

Themes Page 9
 Machiavelli
Monday, 22 March 2010
12:13 PM

Said 'the end justifies the means' .

To achieve one's goals (at any price) is justified in itself. The pursuit of selfish or individual ambition
(to achieve power, wealth, position, etc) is justified especially within a Godless or moral vacuum.
This is a place where Rich likes to be.

Themes Page 10
 Terms
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
12:25 PM

Hypocrisy
Pragmatic (to do what needs to be done)
Consequences
Expedient
Acquiescence

Themes Page 11
 Pages 38-41
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
1:55 PM

Themes Page 12
 The Forest p38 >
Thursday, 29 April 2010
11:13 AM

The laws of England are described as the trees in a forest, to provide shelter from the winds and rain

The law does not get More, the betrayal and perjury of Rich that gets More in the end.

P92 "The law is not a 'light' for you or any man to see by; the law is not an instrument of any kind.
The law is a causeway upon which so long as he keeps to it a citizen may walk safely.

When a man takes an oath he holds himself in his hands, and if his fingers should part a little, he will
never get himself back.

Themes Page 13
 Draw intelligent parallels between More's actions and behaviour
and others who have stood against tyranny throughout history.

Can an iconic figure like More be seen elsewhere in history, as

figures have opposed the black heel of oppression and
dictatorship? 120 words

The story was written in the late 50s - post WWII, post holocaust,
during Korea, post nuclear, Hitler, Stalin, Mao; while also aware of
other writers including Orwell (1984 & Animal Farm) etc. Does the
story reflect reflective of the social and political context of Bolt's
era?

How is the broader social and political context of Bolt's era

demonstrated in the drama?
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
12:31 PM

More's figure through his virtue and honesty can be seen throughout history, even after the play's
screening. One example clear to mind would be Nelson Mandela. Elected honestly as an anti-
apartheid activist to be South Africa's President, Mandela unlike what social pressures are now
dictating, believes that the past should be left and not dwelled upon. Criticism from similar activists
at the time scorn him for this "disregard" for the past suffering, however this total forgiveness is not
only Christ-like but shows the same self-determination and self comfort that More shows
throughout his persecution.

The context surrounding the writing A Man for All Seasons is one of great political and social strife.
Just following WWII and during the Korea War the outspoken men throughout the wars are
becoming known, while acts of bravery and defiance were commonly making newspaper headlines.
No matter the actual truth in these, a movement of social awareness and new moral responsibility
was sweeping across the world. It is no wonder how the social revolution of the 1960s developed
from this new moral awareness. Bolt's drama has elements of

Questions Page 14
 Sir Thomas More was a clever, but breathtakingly naïve man
Friday, 23 April 2010
8:58 AM

More learned that leaders of authority must test those under them - example with Rich

More understood the consequences, knew that he would die, but is rather knowledgeable to his
better fate in heaven - it can be said that in a religious context the others are naïve

It is naive to believe that others will always respect us when we stand up for our principles,
especially when doing so threatens the existing order. It must simply be enough to have taken a
stand.

the naïve ones are Rich and Cromwell towards their life after death

More also knew that Cromwell had set him up, although he had no proof, and knew no one would
believe him in such an era

More understands the importance of integrity

Essay Page 15
 A Man for All Seasons Essay
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
2:13 PM

• 20 minutes planning - get this right! Know what you are going to saw; your position; your
evidence, etc.
• 60-65 mins of writing
• At least 3 body paras of 14-15 lines or 4 paras of 12-14 lines:
○ Topic sentences
○ Explanations and development
○ Supporting evidence
○ Discussion
○ Conclusions and links to topic, contention
• LEARN YOUR QUOTES! What are the top 6 quotes in the text that have broad application to
any interpretation of the text?

PP 38-41

"I'm adrift. Help me."

The key word is 'adrift' because it ties in nicely with the water metaphor that runs like a river
throughout the play. Rich is rudderless and unable to find direction because he lacks moral principle.
Later, he claims to have 'lost my innocence', but Cromwell's response suggests that Rich lost his
innocence long ago.

Many characters express mutability (changeableness).

SAC Page 16