Corruption

More’s political and social decline is paralleled by the rise in power and wealth of Richard Rich. Bolt demonstrates the way in which corruption plays a role in the story, Rich first lamenting the loss of his innocence, but soon giving way to temptation. His position at the end of the play is set against More’s steadfast sense of self, and makes clear the irreparable damage that Rich has done to his personal integrity.

Satire and wit

Thomas More was known for his wit as well as his saintliness. Bolt makes good use of this attribute, both as a way of satirizing the corruption of the court and as a means for More to make light of his situation. His wit is a key aspect of his humanity. He insists at one point that man is born to serve God “wittily.” Other characters have exchanges of dialogue which illustrate the moral ambiguities around them.

Silence

More maintains throughout that if he does not speak his views about the king’s annulment or the break from Rome , that he cannot be prosecuted, under the law of the land. He further affirms that his silence connotes approval rather than disapproval. Words or the lack thereof are of the utmost importance to More. To make an oath is not the enactment of an empty ritual, but a way of making a covenant between yourself and your god. More had no choice but to be in a place of silence, in terms of his relationship with the King, his personal safety, and also because of his temperament. He was always listening to the voice within.

Water and boats

Bolt indicates in his preface to the play his intentional use of symbolism around water, boats and dry land. The drama is indeed rife with this imagery, but it is never intrusive or contrived. Water can be said to symbolize some uncertainty or a sense of the unknowable. It is also a means of travel which helps to convey the journey which the drives the story. The dry land represents what society and the law should be – a bulwark against the moral mysteries of the cosmos

Gilded cup

The Italian silver cup which More gives to Rich in the first scene was received as a bribe. It signifies the beginning of Rich’s corruption as well as More’s attempt to lead Rich in another direction. More’s high principles and moral steadiness do not permit him to keep it. When the matter of the cup is raised again in the second act, his integrity is made clear again. He cannot be corrupted or swayed by the riches of society.