For the Sake of Honor Home » Screenplays » Rebirth » Characters » For the Sake of Honor

During the French Renaissance, many are no longer able to accept the commands of Kings, nor the corruption of Popes. Those better educated are able to read for themselves, but not without the risk of death or dungeon. As Humanism and Reformation spread, the thirst for knowledge is viewed as a threat to the unbridled power of church and state.

Yet, some are willing to fight back. The Huguenots are at the forefront of the rebellion. Many are willing to give up fortune, fame and even their lives to preserve their honor and liberty of conscience. Prince de Conde and Admiral Coligny are their chosen leaders. Unlike William Wallace in Braveheart, who has little left to lose, these heroes are a pure and rare example of men who give up everything for a noble cause.

A man of honor and integrity, Admiral Gaspard de Coligny is debonair, yet humble and fatherly to all. He has everything a man can wish for, riches and renown with the King. In his fifties, Coligny believes religion is not a set of beliefs, but a way of life. The men who stand with him battle for the sake of honor and civil liberty. Coligny is a rare example of a man who gives up his wealth and the pleasures of success for this noble cause.

Wish List: Robert Duvall, Anthony Hopkins, Max Von Sydow, Christopher Plummer, Jeremy Irons, Michael Caine.

 

The chosen leader of the "heretics," Louis I, Prince de Conde is a patriot that is concerned with the path that France has chosen. In his late thirties to early forties in the screenplay, he is appalled when he sees men blindly bowing to dogma, even to the point of killing fellow countrymen. His faith is not that of a religious fanatic, but one of principle, to do what is right for the future of his people and his country.

Wish List: Rufus Sewell,  Johnny Depp,  Clive Owen,  Ed Norton, Mark Rylance, Tony Schinea, Gerard Butler.

 

In her forties, Jean D'Albret, Queen of Navarre is an intelligent, well-read and practical woman. Her ideology represents the best of humanism, mysticism and religious reform. She is sincere in her pursuit of the truth and enjoys Plato, even having his dialogues translated. She has little patience for dogma, but pursues the ideal of moderation in religion, rejecting many aspects of medieval Catholicism. At her court, she gives refuge to dissenters and allows for freedom of conscience.

Wish List: Julia Ormond, Emmanuelle Beart, Cate Blanchette, Annette Benning, Charlize Theron, Dagmara Dominczyk, Shirley Eaton.