Murder in the Cathedral (Magill Book Reviews)
At a glance:
- Author: T. S. Eliot
- First Published: 1935
- Type of Work: Drama
- Genres: Drama, Psychological drama, History play, Morality play
- Subjects: Suffering, Politics, England or English people, Assassination, Sermons, Clergy, Middle Ages, Knights or knighthood, Cathedrals, Twelfth century, Poetics
- Locales: Canterbury, England
Written in an engaging mixture of styles and tones, this play begins with a chorus and several priests heralding Thomas Becket’s return from France to Canterbury. England has clearly suffered hardships during Becket’s absence, but the action of the play is intended to show how suffering can be redeemed when it is seen as part of a divine pattern, how it can be an act of devotion.
Upon his return, Beckett quickly confronts the wiles of four tempters. Their temptations include sensual pleasures, political power, and revenge against the King, all of which Becket promptly...
[The entire page is 544 words long]
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