Transcript Murder in the Cathedral

Murder in the Cathedral
T.S. Eliot
Introduction
In 1163, a quarrel began between the British King
Henry II and the Archbishop of Canterbury,
Thomas Becket.
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The men had been good friends, but each felt that
his interests should be of primary concern to the
nation and that the other should acquiesce to his
demands.
Becket fled to France in 1164 in order to rally
support from the Catholic French for his cause and
also sought an audience with the Pope.
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After being officially (although
not personally) reconciled with
the King, Becket returned to
England in 1170, only to be
murdered as he prayed in
Canterbury Cathedral by four
of Henry’s Knights.
Three years later, he was
canonized and pilgrims—
Henry among them—have
made their way to his tomb
ever since.
Characters
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Thomas Becket – the Archbishop of Canterbury
and hero of the play.
Chorus – Similar to those found in ancient Greek
drama, it serves as the mediator between the play
and the audience.
The Four Knights – They threaten Thomas with
physical violence, and ultimately follow through
with their threats.
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The Four Tempters – They offer Thomas
intellectual and spiritual trickery.
The Messenger – arrives in Part One to announce
to the Priests that Thomas is returning to
Canterbury.
The Three Priests – As a unit the three Priests
provide a context for Thomas’s religious
speculations and offer the audience different
opinions of him before he enters the play.
Conflict
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The conflict exists between the King and the Pope;
that is between temporal power and spiritual
power.
Four Knights
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Reginald Fitz Urse – First Knight
Sir Hugh de Morville – Second Knight
Baron William de Traci – Third Knight
Richard Brito – Fourth Knight
The Four Tempters
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First Tempter – tells him that “Friendship is more
than biting Time can sever” and ask Thomas to
befriend the King as he did once before, so that
there will be “Fluting in the meadow” and “Singing
at nightfall.”
Second Tempter – suggest that he should reclaim
the Chancellorship from which he resigned after
his feud with King Henry; doing so would, the
Tempter assures him, let Thomas “set down the
great” and “protect the poor.”
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Third Tempter – dubbing himself “A countrykeeping Lord who minds his own business,”
attempts to seduce Thomas into representing
the barons at court in order to
“fight a good stroke
At once, for England and for Rome,
Ending the tyrannous jurisdiction”
of Henry’s reign.
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Fourth Tempter – he tempts Thomas with his
“own desires” of becoming a saint and martyred
leader of his people. Eventually the 4th Tempter
teaches Thomas about the degree to which his own
pride stands between him and the will of God.
Protagonist
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The protagonist is Thomas Becket, who represents
the church and who resists Temptation.
Antagonist
The antagonist is the state (or King Henry II) whose
casual remark that the priest should be taken out
of his way brings about the death and ultimate
martyrdom of Thomas Becket.
Climax
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In the course of the play, the climax of the action
occurs with the temptation by the four tempters
who offer Becket various items ranging from
money to unlimited power. Becket resists them all.
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The play really opens at the true point of climax
when the whole city of Canterbury is rejoicing, but
the peasant women of the Chorus have a strange
intuition of death.
The tension is accompanied by a feeling that death
is unavoidable, and it is almost accepted by the
Chorus and the priests. What is left is only the
ritual of killing and the prayer thereafter.
Outcome
The play ends in tragedy with the murder of Thomas
Becket; thus, the protagonist (Becket) is overcome
by the antagonist (the state).
Note
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Murder in the Cathedral was written for a ritualistic
presentation. Hence, the reader does not find
elaborate treatment of these components of the
plot.
The whole play has an economy of scenes and
action. It has the effect of unity of action on a
single theme of how martyrdom takes place.