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Murder in the Cathedral By: T.S. Eliot

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Murder in the Cathedral

By: T.S. Eliot

Canterbury Cathedral

Characters •Chorus of women of Canterbury

•Three Priests of the Cathedral

•A Messenger

•Archbishop Thomas Becket

•Four Tempters

•Four Knights

•Attendants

Brief Conflict Overview • Archbishop Thomas Beckett is to return to the

Canterbury Cathedral after being away for seven

years. Three tempters arrive to bribe Thomas with

friendship with the king, wealth/fame, coalition against

the King. A fourth, unexpected tempter arrives and

provokes Thomas with martyrdom. The Archbishop

must struggle with his own selfishness. Four Knights

come from the king. Having misinterpreted the king’s

frustration as an order to kill the Archbishop. They

accuse him of betrayal and kill him. The conflict in part

one is emotional and moral while conflict in part two is

physical.

Chorus of Women of Canterbury

Key Terms to Remember • Duplicity

• Circumlocution

• Incredulity

• Prognostic

• Temporal

• Laity

• Skein

• Venial

• Martyr

• Endued

• Dominion

• Transgression

• Brevity

• Fluting

• Cloister

• Refute

Discussion Questions 1. If the first three tempters represent the temptations of Christ then what

does the Archbishop represent?

2. The fourth tempter was unexpected, what does he symbolize?

3. How does the Chorus foreshadow the events to come?

4. What is significant about the three priests reaction to the Chorus?

5. What does the Archbishop’s conversation with the four tempters reveal about his character?

6. What is significant about the Archbishop challenging the knights to

accuse him in public?

7. Why would the Archbishop refuse to protect himself by leaving?

8. What is significant about the fact that there are four tempters and four knights?

9. What is important about the fact that the Knights were drunk when they

murder Archbishop Thomas Becket

10. What is significant about the chorus’ description of their simple lives in the very beginning?

Discussion Questions 11. The Knights speak as if they are part of a collective consciousness,

finishing the sentences of the others, is there anything significant about

this? If so, why is it significant?

12. In Macbeth the three witches spoke in a different pattern than the other characters. Similarly, the knights speak often in a couplet rhyme, is there

anything important to say about how their rhyme scheme differs from the other characters?

13. Why would the knights have to justify their reasoning for killing the

Archbishop at the end of the play?

Comprehension ACT ONE • What is the chorus so worried about?

• How do each of the priests react to

Thomas’ imminent return.

• What does each of the four tempters use

to tempt the Archbishop?

• What do the first three tempters

represent?

• How does the Archbishop react to the

temptations offered?

Comprehension INTERLUDE • What is the overall topic of the interlude?

• What is the Archbishop’s opinion about

Martyrdom in his sermon?

• How does the Archbishop distinguish

martyrdom from a Christian simply dying

because he’s a Christian?

Comprehension ACT TWO • How do the priests treat the Knights in the

beginning?

• What is the Archbishop accused of and

how does he react to the accusation?

• What is the Archbishop’s attitude towards

his approaching demise?

• What do the Knights claim to have killed

the Archbishop for?

IF you enjoyed this… • Canterbury Tales : Geoffery Chaucer

Murder in the Cathedral: The sequel!

• Becket : Jean Anouilh

Deals with the same event.

• “The Waste Land” : T.S. Eliot

Possesses similar themes

• Dr. Faustus : Christopher Marlowe

Deals with temptation

Redemption of the seasons.

Temptation of the riteous

Fate / Time

Martyrdom for a religious cause

Submission to God’s Will