A few of the many qualities of friendship include unconditional loyalty,
honesty, trust, and respect. In the play A Man For All Seasons, by Robert Bolt,
Sir Thomas More demonstrates all of these qualities that display friendship, and
the basis of a good, honest man. Richard Rich, on the other hand, contributes
very contrasting views and displays little to no qualities of friendship or
loyalty at all. Sir Thomas More may be considered a true friend and good, honest
man due the fact that he uses qualities of loyalty, honesty, trust, and
generosity with whomever he is dealing with throughout his daily life. He
clearly demonstrates his loyalty to both God and the King, Henry VIII,
simultaneously without infrinding on boundries between them. The whole play
shows More’s loyalty to God, ultimately he died for his beliefs because they
were not accepted. His loyalty to God is shown by his decision to remain
Catholic and true(in his mind) to his God, though his King was creating a
radical new Anglican religion. He disagreed with the King’s decision to go
against the Catholic church, but kept his opinions silent except towards his
ruler out of respect and loyalty. His loyalty to the King is also evident when
he uses his judgment and chooses not to open the letter he received from Chapuys,
for fear that his devotion to the King would be brought into question,
"…This is a letter from King Charles; I want you to see it’s not been
opened. I have declined it. You see the seal has not been broken?…"(Page
64) More’s trust in the King is evident because he is confident that the King
will not pressure him into making any judgment he is not comfortable with,
"…Your conscience is your own affair; but you are my Chancellor! There,
you have my word-I’ll leave you out of it. But I don’t take it kindly,
Thomas, and I’ll have no opposition!…Lie low if you will, but I’ll brook
no opposition- no words, no signs, no letters, no pamphlets - mind that, Thomas
- no writings against me!"(Page 31). More is a generous man, for instance
giving Rich the silver goblet. More knew if he kept it, it could be used to
incriminate him in the court of law. He could have sold it, but instead gave it
away, out of kindness and generosity. More’s giving attitude was also
demonstrated when he offers Rich the teaching position. Richard Rich is
everything that More is not. He is mercenary and defines himself by position and
possession rather than in his morals and values. Rich cares little for
friendship and loyalty, and cares only for personal gain and profit. He is
mercenary because everything he does involves some result that will promote him.
He is always putting his needs and wants before the needs of others. More
offered Rich an honorable and respectable job as a teacher, but Rich refused it
because he believed it was meaningless and unimportand, and there was no chance
at making substantial amounts of money with it. It would not improve his social
status as much as he desired. Rich was using More to gain position, he feigns
loyalty and friendship towards More for personal gain."…A friend of Sir
Thomas and still no office?"(Page 3). Rich will not admit to being More’s
friend, even when More is on death row. He does not acknowledge or want to think
that More helped him out at all, he turns his back on him and lets him dies,
"He isn’t really my friend…"(Page 21). He does not acknowledge or
want to think that More helped him out at all. Rich defines himself solely on
material items than the things that should be important to him, such as
friendship, love, family, belief, and morals. He will do anything to give
himself a name. He betrayed his friendship with More to prosecute him by lying
on the stand. This gave him the popularity he desired, and knew if More went
down, he could gain position, therefore his loyalty to More was never prevalent.
By Rich prosecuting against More and lying on the stand, he was appointed the
Attorney-General for Wales, More was astonished that anyone could lie and only
be appointed the Attorny-General of Wales, "For Wales? Why, Richard, its
profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world…But for
Wales-!"(Page 95).