Becket in a window in Canterbury Cathedral

Murder in the Cathedral is a poetic drama by T. S. Eliot that portrays the assassination of Archbishop Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170. Eliot drew heavily on the writing of Edward Grim, a clerk who was an eyewitness to the event. Image File history File links Tomwindo. ... Canterbury Cathedral from the southwest. ... Poetry (ancient Greek: poieo = create) is an art form in which human language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and semantic content. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Thomas Stearns Eliot, OM (September 26, 1888 ? January 4, 1965) was a poet, dramatist and literary critic, whose works, such as The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, The Waste Land, The Hollow Men, and Four Quartets, are considered defining achievements of twentieth century Modernist poetry. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Canterbury Cathedral from the southwest. ... Edward Grim was a clerk from Cambridge who was visiting Canterbury Cathedral on Tuesday 29 December 1170 when Thomas Becket was murdered. ...

The play was written in the context of the rise of Fascism in Central Europe, and is an outcry to individuals in affected countries to stand firm against the perversion and subversion of ideals of the Christian Church for the uses of the Nazi regimes.^{[citation needed]} Fascism (IPA: ) is a radical political ideology that combines elements of corporatism, authoritarianism, nationalism, militarism, anti-liberalism and anti-communism. ...

Some material that the producer requested Eliot to remove or replace during the writing was transformed into the poem "Burnt Norton." Four Quartets is the name given to four related poems by T. S. Eliot, collected and republished in book form in 1943 (ISBN 0156332256). ...

Plot

The action takes place between December 2nd and December 29th 1170, chronicling the days leading up to the martyrdom of Thomas Becket following his absence of seven years in France, whose internal struggle is the main thrust of the play. December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 2 days remaining. ... Events December 29: Assassination of Thomas Beckett, Archbishop of Canterbury, in Canterbury cathedral City of Dublin captured by the Normans According to folklore, the Welsh prince Madoc sailed to North America and founded a colony. ...

Having come into conflict with secular authority, Archbishop Becket is visited by a succession of tempters, three of whom parallel the Temptations of Christ. The temptation of Christ in Christianity, refers to the temptation of Jesus by the devil as detailed in each of the Synoptic Gospels, at Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, and Luke 4:1-13. ...

The first tempter offers the prospect of physical safety.

Take a friend's advice. Leave well alone,

Or your goose may be cooked and eaten to the bone.

The second offers power, riches and fame in serving the King.

To set down the great, protect the poor,

Beneath the throne of God can man do more?

The third tempter suggests a coalition with the barons and a chance to resist the King.

For us, Church favour would be an advantage,

Blessing of Pope powerful protection

In the fight for liberty. You, my Lord,

In being with us, would fight a good stroke

Finally, a tempter who may be the devil himself, urges him to seek the glory of martyrdom. The Devil is a title given to a supernatural entity, who, in most interpretations of the Abrahamic faiths, is the central embodiment of evil. ... Historically, a martyr is a person who dies for his or her religious faith. ...

You hold the keys of heaven and hell.

Power to bind and loose : bind, Thomas, bind,

King and bishop under your heel.

King, emperor, bishop, baron, king:

Beckett responds to all of the tempters and specifically addresses the immoral suggestions of the fourth tempter at the end of the first act:

Now is my way clear, now is the meaning plain:

Temptation shall not come in this kind again.

The last temptation is the greatest treason:

To do the right deed for the wrong reason.

Finally, he achieves peace of mind by electing not to look for sainthood, but to accept death as inevitable. however at the end of the trial the King is declaird guilty.

Performances

First performance

George Bell, the Bishop of Chichester, was instrumental in getting Eliot to work as writer with producer E. Martin Browne in producing the pagent play The Rock (1934.) Bishop Bell then asked Eliot to write another play for the Canterbury Festival in 1935. Eliot agreed to do so if Browne once again produced (he did.) The first performance was given on June 15, 1935 in the Chapter House of Canterbury Cathedral. Robert Speaight played the part of Becket. The production then moved to London and ran there for several months. Robert Speaight (1904 – 1976) was a British actor and writer. ...

Other performances

The play was later made into a Black & White film directed by George Hoellering and released in the UK in 1952. ^{[1] [2]} The 1964 colour film Becket dealt with the same story, but was based on a play written by the French dramatist Jean Anouilh.^{[3] [4]} 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... Becket is a 1964 film adaptation of the play Becket or the Honour of God by Jean Anouilh made by Hal Wallis Productions and released by Paramount Pictures. ... Jean Anouilh (June 23, 1910 – October 3, 1987) was a French dramatist. ...

Further reading

E. Martin Browne, The Making of T.S. Eliot's Plays.

Notes

1. ^ The New York Times Movie Reviews Murder in the Cathedral; Retrieved on October 7, 2006.
2. ^ IMDB: Murder in the Cathedral (1952); Retrieved on October 7, 2006.
3. ^ IMDB: Becket (1964); Retrieved on October 7, 2006.
4. ^ The New York Times Movie Review: Becket - 1964-UK-Biography [feature/Historical Epic]; Retrieved on October 7, 2006.