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Murder in the Cathedral | Introduction

In 1163, a quarrel began between the British King Henry II and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket. 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. 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.

The allure of such a story for a dramatist is obvious: there is a great conflict between human and divine power, a strong central character and a number of complicated spiritual issues to be found in his death. In 1935, T. S. Eliot answered this "calling" to compose a play for that year's Canterbury Festival; the result was a work that revitalized verse drama—a form that had not been widely employed for almost three hundred years. Critics praised Eliot's use of verse and ability to invest a past historical event with modern issues and themes, such as the ways in which lay persons react to the intrusion of the supernatural in their daily lives. In part because it is a religious drama which appeared long after such plays were popular, Murder in the Cathedral is still performed, studied, and regarded as one of Eliot's major works, a testament to his skill as a poet and dramatist.

Murder in the Cathedral Summary

Part One
The action of Murder in the Cathedral occurs in and around Canterbury Cathedral; Part One takes place on December 2,1170, the day that Archbishop Thomas Becket returned to England and twenty-seven days before his murder by four knights of King Henry II. When the play begins, a Chorus comprised of the Women of Canterbury huddle outside the cathedral, certain that something is about to happen but unable to articulate any details: "Some presage of an act / Which our eyes are compelled to witness, has forced our feet / Towards the cathedral." They then describe their lives to the audience and these descriptions mark them as common people who fear any threat of change:"We try to keep our households in order," they explain, but "Some malady is coming upon us." Ultimately, they decide that"For us, the poor, there is no action, / But only to wait and witness."

Three Priests enter and briefly discuss a major issue of the play: the differences between temporal (i.e., worldly) and spiritual power The Third Pnest claims that, "King rules or barons rule" and that politicians "have but one law, to seize the power and keep it." The First Priest hopes that the Chorus has not become too jaded and hopes that they will realize that they have a "friend'' in "their Father in God." (Clearly, the populace and their religious leaders are living in spiritually trying times.)

A Messenger then arrives and informs them that their archbishop, Thomas Becket, is returning to England after a seven-year absence. Due to a feud with the King, in part over the degree to which the church would assert its power in the British government, Thomas has been exiled to foreign shores and has been seeking support for his ideas in Catholic France. The Priests' reactions to this news varies: The First Priest comments on Thomas's pride, which makes him "fear for the Archbishop'' and "fear for the Church''; the Second Priest looks towards his superior's return in the hope that "He will tell us what we are to do, he will give us our orders, instruct us"; the Third Priest dismisses the very act of predicting what will happen, for, as he says, "who knows the end of good or evil?" Instead, he thinks they must simply "let the wheel turn."

The Chorus expresses its terror at the thought of Thomas's return: although they have endured previous hardships, they are unprepared "To stand to the doom of the house, the doom on the Archbishop, the doom on the world." They are merely "small folk drawn into the pattern of fate" and beg the still-absent Thomas to "leave us, leave us, leave sullen Dover and set sail for France."

After the Chorus is scolded by the Second Priest for their "croaking like frogs," Thomas enters, calling for "Peace" and telling the Priests that the Women of Canterbury "speak better than they know, and beyond your understanding." He explains how he managed to arnve safely in Canterbury and remarks that "the hungry hawk'' may still strike at any moment. However, he explains that "End will be simple, sudden, God-given" and that "All things prepare the event." His faith in the divine will is thus asserted.

Thomas is then visited by four Tempters, symbolic characters who approach and attempt to lure Thomas away from his devotion to the Church. The First Tempter offers Thomas the glory of his past friendship with the King. The Second Tempter offers political power in the form of Thomas's former position at Court: the Chancellorship. The Third Tempter tells him to "fight for liberty" and end "the tyrannous jurisdiction / Of king's court over bishop's court, / Of king's court over baron's... » Complete Murder in the Cathedral Summary