Thomas More’s Utopia Analysis
Thomas More’s Utopia Analysis and study questions. The geography of Utopia. The religion in Utopia. Gold and silver in Utopia. Marriage customs in Utopia. What was the importance of agriculture for Utopians? Why did Thomas More write Utopia in Latin?
Why did Thomas More write Utopia in Latin?
He had a close interest in greek philosophers and dealt with works such as Plato’s republic. It was written in Latin with the aim of understanding educated readers of all Europe. He believed that his work is needed e deeper understanding.
How was the geography of Utopia?
The shape of the island resembles a new moon. İt symbolizes a new beginning to everything (including a new lifestyle, education, wearing, writing)
The location of the island makes it extremely difficult to reach there, and only the Utopians can reach the proper ways.
All coast is defended in natural shapes. So, it’s a perfect place to be protected perfectly and it was easy to avoid the destruction coming from outside and make them help to isolate themselves from the rest of the world. Being an island symbolizes freedom from the rest of the world. İt is the great symbol of harmony. And being separated from the earth make the island pure and innocent.
Thomas More’s Utopia Analysis
Is it possible such a country?
A country like that may be boring. People will probably never resist some things. But human beings need struggles and want originality. This monotony makes them unable to change. Moreover, in somewhere no change is present, people can not cultivate themselves to have more colorful desires and improvements. In such a place the fundamental needs of human desires began to pressure social order and individual freedom as time passes.
Utopia is a static place and utopians are a static society but in reality. Most importantly, there can be nowhere like Utopia in the world. Utopia is a good as a picture it is impossible to be such a place because human desire, feeling, imagination change every day, is not the same. So Utopian’s clothes, houses, cities are the same. As they don’t want any change they don’t give importance to education. They go to school only to learn how to read and write.
What about gold and silver in Utopia?
The utility was important rather than beauty and especially scarcity. So they don’t treat gold and silver in the way we use them. But they made sure no one overvalues gold and sliver beyond the metals themselves desires.
For instance; Iron is superior to gold because it’s more useful than gold as it is lasting and tough but on the contrary gold has no acceptable function and provides nothing for people. The fact that human has made them precious because they are rare seemed to utopians very stupid.
Thomas More’s Utopia Analysis
How about the marriage customs in Utopia?
There was an age limit for getting married; for women aged 18 and up, for men aged 22 and up. there were strict rules to keep singles away from premarital sex because maturity was important to prevent errors. If someone broke this rule, they were punished severely.
At the same time; all households especially the father and the mother were responsible for their children; thus; they ought to take care of them. Because the errors of children were really frustrating to expose to the public disgrace for the parents.
Getting married in Utopia was in an absurd way;
- The bride and the groom are shown to each other nakedly
- Utopia is the only place that monogamy is performed around that region.
- Divorce in Utopia was hard because it was protected by strict rules. In the manner of divorce; the innocent part’s rights were protected against the guilty part.
Thomas More’s Utopia Analysis
How about the religion in Utopia?
There are different forms of religion in utopia. Some worship as a god the sun, others the moon, and others are of the planets. The vast majority of utopians believe in a single power, unknown, eternal, inexplicable for beyond the grasp of the human mind. They called him father.
- There is a polytheism” the belief that there is more than one god”
- Everyone is free to choose his/her religion.
- A man can be both god & man It means he becomes a model for utopians, he becomes ideal with his behaviors, so people glorify him.
- Would you like to read another essay? follow the Analysis of The Metamorphosis
What was the importance of agriculture and farming?
- Farming and culture is their main occupation. As a result, they want to live with nature in harmony. It is essential since it supplies food and all fundamental needs for life. So, it gives occupation for everyone can deal with.
- All Utopians were good cultivators, young Utopians as grooms deal with feeding and
taking care of the horses to keep themselves fit. They improved marvelous methods in
farming and breeding. For example; the chickens they feed. As soon as the chicks come out of the shell, they recognize the man. Thus, they follow can them instead of the hens. This behavior proves that their mother is so well comforted and this implies; human beings can take control of nature and can replace natural phenomena and capable of changing everything. He shows that nature may be controlled by humans. This shows people’s capacity. - In Utopia; cultivators were always respected more than the nobles.
You can search for Utopia more on Wikipedia.
