Man for all seasons

Norfolk is the image of the common man in a Man for All Seasons. He goes with the flow and lets himself be carried wherever the general tides take him. Norfolk accepts the divorce of the king and his wife not because he sees it as a move to secure an heir to the thrown but because it is a safe political position to be in agreement with the king and the majority of the rest of the government.

Norfolk is unable to see why More objects to the divorce of the king and his wife when so many agree with it. He can not see that More truly believes in his morals to the extent that he is willing to defy the king and the government. Norfolk expresses his feelings to More when talking to him about his silence in the matter of the divorce. “god damn it man. It’s disproportionate.” Norfolk has no problem taking a pledge and crossing his fingers and cannot see why More objects to it so passionately in the face of all that accept it.

Norfolk’s view of his world was very accepting. He accepted the fact that the king need a heir, he accepted the assumption that More was being selfish by not accept the divorce and accepted Cromwell’s bribing of Richard Rich. Norfolk did not try and change the world because he saw it as dangerous. He saw there was safety in numbers and was afraid to go out on a limb.

Norfolk is the image of a typical person in Thomas mores time. He was accepting and a little short sighted only seeing what will get him through his next challenge instead of what is good for himself overall. While Norfolk did not have the moral standards of More he also had many qualities that were quite becoming such as companionship and trust.