Principles Quotes in A Man for All Seasons

Mmm, now this is some tasty foreshadowing. Even without that, however, this quote shows us a lot of More's moral character—that is to say, he's a really good dude. Unfortunately, he's going to learn the hard way that he might be the only member of the British aristocracy with anything resembling principles. In other words, this is going to be one wild ride.

Yeah, More, why are you always letting nonsense like "morals" stand in your way? This quote becomes even more fascinating when you remember that it's being spoken by a cardinal—you know, the kind of guy whose job it is to have sound moral judgment. This is our first real indication that More's going to have trouble maintaining his principled mindset.

This might as well be More's personal motto. While other aristocratic figures seem more than willing to throw their consciences overboard in order not to rock the boat, More treats his principles like an anchor and holds fast. It's going to take quite the storm to move him from that spot.