Scout Finch
Mrs. Burke
AP English
4 January 2018
Holding on Tight
“When a man takes an oath, Meg, he's 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.”
- Sir Thomas More, A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt
I am generally a rule-follower, a good girl, walking in step, doing whatever I am told. In my life, I never stepped too far out of line, was never a “rebel without a cause.” Yet, even with this straight-laced background, I reacted with a measure of concern, a sense of discomfort, when challenged with the words of Sir Thomas More, from Robert Bolt’s play, A Man for All Seasons. In the play, Sir Thomas, the Chancellor of England, is faced with an impossible dilemma. King Henry VIII, desired, actually demanded Thomas’s obedience and support in state matters that were in direct conflict with Thomas’s religious beliefs. Essentially, Thomas could lie under oath, support his king, and save his life, or he could refuse, remain true to his beliefs, and die for treason. Sir Thomas’s daughter tried to persuade him essentially to lie under oath -- to “say the words of the oath, and in [his] heart think otherwise.” However, Thomas would not compromise under any circumstances, recognizing her logic as an argument driven by her love for her father. When I first read Thomas’s reply to these urgings, hundreds of haunting transgressions flooded my mind – the white lie I might have told to a friend or to save me from a consequence, the book I claimed I read for class, but never did, the corner I cut for convenience... All of these seemingly harmless acts had escaped from my hands like drops of water, spilling from my loosely gripped fingers. How often had I casually let my integrity slip through? How much of myself had I lost already? I’m no saint, but the world began to look differently to me after reading about Sir Thomas. Granted, the likelihood that I will ever have to face a life or death situation as a result of my decision making is slim, but I do believe my character must take the seat of honor in my life. From that moment, I would forge ahead trying to keep a tight grip on myself in all situations. (342 words, sans quotation)