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 • Martyr
• Circumlocution • Endued
• Incredulity • Dominion
• Prognostic • Transgression
• Temporal • Brevity
• Laity • Fluting
• Skein • Cloister
• Venial • Refute
 Discussion
1.

2.
Questions
If the first three tempters represent the temptations of Christ then what
does the Archbishop represent?
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
11.
Questions
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