Becket | Becket

At a glance:

Author: Jean Anouilh
First Published: 1959
Type of Work: Historical
Time of Work: The twelfth century
Setting: England, France, and Rome
Principal Characters: Thomas a Becket, Henry II Plantagenet, Gilbert Folliot, Eleanor of Aquitaine, The Queen Mother, The Young Monk, Gwendolen
Genres: Drama, History play
Subjects: History, Values, Power, personal or social, France or French people, Friendship, England or English people, Christianity, Kings, queens, or royalty, Martyrs or martyrdom, Middle Ages, Saints or sainthood, Rome
Locales: France, England, Rome, Italy

Becket begins as it will end, with King Henry performing ritual penance for his long-suspected role in the assassination of Thomas a Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, formerly his friend and chancellor of England. While the king wonders aloud how and where their friendship went wrong, Becket’s ghostly presence soon appears, exhorting the king to pray instead of talking. The scene then shifts abruptly to the days of the two men’s boon companionship, culminating in the king’s impulsive appointment of Becket to the post of chancellor, a move calculated to...

Becket | Becket

At a glance:

The Play

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