Becket (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Jean Anouilh
- First Published: 1959
- Type of Work: Drama
- Type of Plot: Historical
- Time of Work: Twelfth century
- Setting: England, France, and Rome
- Principal Characters: Thomas à Becket, Henry II Plantagenet, Gilbert Folliot, The Queen, The Queen Mother, 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
The Story:
King Henry was doing ritual penance for his suspected role in the assassination of Thomas à Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, formerly his friend and chancellor of England. While the king wondered aloud where their friendship had gone wrong, Thomas’ ghostly presence appeared before him, telling him to pray instead of talk. The scene then shifts to the early days of the two men’s boon companionship. Henry made an impulsive appointment of Becket to the position of chancellor, a move intended to give the king more control of a rebellious clergy. Equally mistrusted...
[The entire page is 2003 words long]
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