Characteristics Of King Viii In A Man For All Seasons

972 Words4 Pages

There are many ways that people can lead, whether it be through manipulation, through dedication to their religion, or just following another person’s leadership style. Each style has the possibility of being effective, but only if the leader themselves uses this style correctly. In A Man for All Seasons there is only one person who shows the capability of being a successful leader, that person was King Henry VIII. One of the reasons for this is because Henry used many intelligent methods while ruling. Another reason is that he did whatever was necessary to attain what he wanted. Lastly, when comparing King Henry’s leadership style to the other leadership styles in this play, it is evident that Henry was the most successful.
King Henry VIII’s way of leading was quite different from other rulers and considerably questionable but, it was extremely intelligent and effective. He manipulated people and made them feel as if they could trust him, this made it significantly easier for him to obtain what he wanted from people. When More and Henry were having a conversation regarding the divorce in Act One of A Man for All Seasons, Henry leads More to believing he could trust him, as he allows More to freely speak his mind on matters concerning the divorce. “More: Take your Dagger and saw it from my shoulder, and I will laugh and be thankful, if …show more content…

An example of this is Rich’s style of leadership, Rich wanted money and fame, which can be shown when More told Rich about a job offering at a new school. In which Rich responds bitterly disappointed, expecting better. “More: Why not be a teacher? You’d be a fine teacher. Perhaps even a great one. Rich: And if I was, who would know it?” (Bolt 8) This shows that even though the job offered to him had excellent benefits, he did not want to accept it since he would get no