“when I can’t touch the bottom I’ll go deaf blind and dumb.” (page 25)
Easily bribed as we see in his role as Matthew, the steward. He fails to ever take a firm stand, and is constantly shirking away from any kind of trouble. His constant objective is to please himself, and therefore as Matthew he refuses to accept a lower salary although Thomas more cannot afford to pay him as much and longer, and instead quits. He is suspicious and fails to accept that More will genuinely miss him. The Common Man takes on many guises in the play to illustrate the fact that he represents us all. As innkeeper he pretends to have an understanding of anything in order to keep himself out of trouble;
“I’m a plain simple man and just want to keep out of trouble.” (page 88)
Then as jailer he once again does all he can to stay out of trouble. He even carries out the role of foreman of the jury and executioner as to not do would get himself in trouble. He takes on these roles being perfectly aware that Thomas More the man suffering is good, honest and entirely undeserving of such a fate. But he refuses to make a stand as he does not want to go against those such as Cromwell who could cause him trouble;
“Only an unhappy few were found to set themselves against the current of their times, and in so doing to court disaster.” (page 47)
Richard Rich is a man who desperately wants to achieve something better out of life. he feels in order to be successful and gain respect he needs a high position in society, he certainly does not feel that a teaching post as Thomas More suggests to him would achieve him suitable status. He is the only character in the play that actually seems to like Cromwell as can be seen from Alice More’s comment;
“He’s the only man in London if he does!” (page 7)
He is a weak character and easily corrupted by Cromwell. We see his gradual moral downfall occur throughout the play. As is as he becomes more and more corrupt that he rises up in society. He is a greedy and ambitious character and very susceptible to bribery if it allows him to progress in any manner;
“But every man has his price!” (page 2)
He quite obviously lacks integrity, yet a conscience is observed at occasions throughout the play, “It would depend what I was offered.” (page 43), and Cromwell offers enough and his conscience is quickly and rather easily overcome. He is willing to perjure himself to the secure the post of Attorney – General for Wales. This is even more shocking as he once claimed to have a friendship with the man he brings to death, Thomas More. Although admittedly this friendship was more about what Rich could get out of it than anything else and when he realised he would gain nothing he desired from it he joined Cromwell, in bringing about More’s downfall as this way he knew he’d succeed in climbing the social ladder. He has a great ability for compromise of conscience as he willingly secures worldly success and security at the seemingly small expense of perjuring his soul. Although he does abandon any morals he has he has more scruples over doing so than Cromwell clearly, as we can see from his performance when with the More’s when his guilty conscience suspects that he is no longer welcome there; later we see him showing his conscience to Cromwell;
“I’m lamenting. I’ve lost my innocence.” (page 44)
However, Cromwell quickly brings him into check and so seems to dissolve the last trace of Rich’s ever fading conscience.
Thomas Cromwell was clearly a follower of pragmatic political thought, we can see this through the fact he advised Rich to read works Machiavellian literature. We see him labeled by the boatman as the “coming man”, this is because he is a very pragmatic politician, and it is his pragmatism that brings about his success as nothing holds him back;
“When the King wants something done, I do it.” (page 21)
Cromwell is a schemer, is ambitions are clearly very powerful ones. He is a suspicious character, this can be seen through the agitation on stage at the mere mention of his name, he certainly is not a well liked character. He uses people, notably Rich in order to achieve what he desires. He has no scruples in knowingly setting up an innocent man, clearly he is not a man of conscience. He is a rather sadistic character and we see this side of him as we see him hold Rich’s hand in the candle flame, this incident also serves to demonstrate Rich’s weakness as even after this Rich continues to follow Cromwell in order to progress. His attitude could be well summed up in the following phrase, which gives an insight into his lack of conscience and moral standards;
“so much wickedness purchases so much worldly prospering.” (page 43)
Cromwell is jealous of more and his success and relationship with the King, and resorts to Rich’s perjury in order to defeat More. Clearly, Cromwell is a character lacking in morality and any sense of human decency. More describes him as threatening “like a dockside bully.”
Ambition can lead to moral downfall. Since the power that drives on ambition is great enough to push aside any signs of conscience if it achieves the seemingly greater cause, we see this in the actions of both Rich and Cromwell. The Common Man too is guilty of finding fewer and fewer things, which he is willing to stand up for. He will keep his quiet about anything and everything if it keeps him out of trouble and out of the spotlight.
