The Murder Of Thomas Becket - 828 Words

Alexandria Thompson Murder of Sir Thomas Becket 3/27/2017 Dr. Kauffman The Murder of Thomas Becket The murder of Thomas Becket was the result of a long and bitter dispute between both Becket and King Henry. Becket was serving as Archbishop of Canterbury, and his murder on the altar steps of Canterbury cathedral caused a political frenzy to occur and spread throughout Europe. Becket’s death occurred because of the rash actions of four soldiers who misinterpreted an upset kings wishes. King Henry II, was demonstrating the crowns power over the church of England by proposing the Constitutions of Clarendon, he had divine right over the church and was in the right to attempt to discipline ecclesiastical criminals. King Henry, attempted to†¦show more content†¦This way the king could hold the church to a standard of justice. The church saw this as an insult that they could not handle their own matters. Because of Becket’s opposition, King Henry saw this as a slap in the face since he was the one who appointed Becket. Becket who was once his friend had now reformed to side with the church only. Becket rebelled against Henry by reprimanding the King, publically by calling him a sinner and refusing to allow the silver cross to hang while in his presence. Becket rebelled in petty manners which invoked anger in King Henry. Henry was known for his anger towards Becket, as King he was exerting his power and the church was in constant opposition. This famous dispute between the two leading figures of England can be detected in the letters of King Henry and Sir Thomas Becket, King Henry felt betrayed/angered by the actions of Becket and his view that the church was of higher power. King Henry wrote to the French King and explained how Becket was a â€Å"traitor† and how he was ashamed of his behavior towards the crown. In Becket’s letter to one of the bishops he says that King Henry, is â€Å"detestable and should be revoked of dean status of the church† (Pfaff 1971). With animosity like this arising between the two men a power struggle was bound to occur leading to the ultimate demise of Sir Thomas Beckett. Becket desired for the church to rule in supreme without question from the monarchy. King Henry was the ruler ofShow MoreRelatedEssay on Murder in the Cathedral730 Words   |  3 Pagesbetween Morals and Ethics In Murder in the Cathedral written by T. S. Eliot in the eleventh century, Thomas Becket, the archbishop and main character, opposes the will of society. Thomas has returned to Canterbury after seven years in France exiled from the world. Thomas reason for returning is not to stir up trouble as it is perceived, but to see what has changed and if there was anything he could do to make a change. 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