Of The Temptations Of Becket In Cathedral By T. S. Eliot's Murder In The Cathedral

885 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Religion in Shakespeare

Matt Hershberger
English IV: Period 3
28 January 16, 2014
Relations of the Temptations of Becket and Jesus
In the play, Murder in the Cathedral, by T.S. Eliot, is a British play written in the 1930’s that tells a story of Archbishop Thomas Becket. Thomas Becket parts from England because of a past conflict with the king. When Thomas Becket returns to Canterbury, England there is a lot of turmoil among the ordinary people and the kingdom. Becket does not know if he should become close friends with the king, be acquaintances with the king, or to die as a martyr. Thomas Becket resembles Jesus because both are tempted with temporal pleasure, temporal power, and the glory of martyrdom.
First, Thomas Becket is tempted by a courtier to be led into temporal pleasure. The Tempter offers Becket the chance to recapture all the pleasure and power he had with the King (MC 39). The benefit of this temptation is that Becket will get to relive his past friendship and confident to the King (Alvarez 74). Thomas is very intelligent and has the wisdom to know the future consequences of this temptation if he is willing to accept. He knows the he cannot go against the Church because the Church is on his side. Becket also knows that that going back to past pleasures had been harmful to the King and himself (Staunton 1). Becket responds to the temptation telling him that he cannot repeat the past, and should allow God’s will to work in their lives (Moran 3).
Meanwhile, Thomas Becket has a choice to make amends with the King. The conflict of this temptation is Thomas vs. King Henry or the crown and the Church (Alvarez 75). Becket later rejects this temptation to stay true to the Church because he wants to be remembered for what he did for...

... middle of paper ...

...from all the others because he is looking at a mirror of his own desires. Becket feels dying a martyr is what God wants to be done, and that he is affiliated with death (Stockton 7). He knows that a martyr dies in imitation of Christ, yet is a smaller figure of Christ, and thinks it is the key to heaven.
In conclusion, Jesus and Becket compare equally because both are tempted with temporal pleasure, temporal power, the glory of martyrdom, and both are put to death for something they truly believed in and also for the sake of other that they care about. Jesus knows God’s will but he hesitates to fulfill and asks for more time, but comes to understand it is what his Father wants. Becket is tempted and gives into the temptation of dying a martyr, where Jesus did not have a choice to die. Both Jesus and Becket resist temptations but Becket falls into martyrdom.

Show More
Related

  • Similarities and Differences in the Protagonists in Shakespeare’s Henry V and Descartes’ Meditations of First Philosophy

    534 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Shakespeare’s Henry V and Descartes’ Meditations of First Philosophy, the protagonists lay a foundation that left a mark on the people of the time and of the generations after. King Henry marches on a conquest of political power to France in order to win what he believes is rightfully his while Descartes enters deep into his inner mind in the hopes of understanding certainty contrasting that of the church. However, both characters turn different directions to achieve the clarity and knowledge that they seek.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Four Quartets And Murder In The Cathedral

    1473 Words  | 3 Pages

    by time and its criticisms. Thus, his critics recognize his faults, but do not throw

    Read More

  • The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe

    1426 Words  | 3 Pages

    The mind is a complicated thing. Not many stories are able to portray this in such an interesting manner as in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher". The haunting story of a man and his sister, living in the old family mansion. But as all should know, much symbolism can be found in most of Poe's works. "The Fall of the House of Usher" is no exception.

    Read More

  • Cathedral by Raymond Carver

    837 Words  | 2 Pages

    Raymond Carver, the author of “Cathedral” uses characterization to describe the main character, the narrator’s development in the story upon meeting a blind man. This blind man, Robert, unintentionally changes the narrator’s perspective on life and on himself. The narrator first starts off as an arrogant, close minded individual who later opens his mind and is introduced to new perspectives of life. The most important element used in this writing is characterization because it makes the reader change perspectives on how the narrator develops throughout the story and deeply goes into a lot of detail to support the narrator’s development. good thesis, but the wording is a little bland and lifeless

    Read More

  • Cathedral, by Raymond Carver

    1426 Words  | 3 Pages

    Raymond Carver, in his short story Cathedral uses a first-person narrator, whose point of view is very much limited and flawed. The narrator in Cathedral has full use of all his senses, unlike the blind man, Robert, who is introduced very early in the story. When comparing the two again, however, Robert is the character that is open to new ideas and willing to experience the joys of life, while the narrator limits himself due to his close-minded thinking. It brings up the question, who is truly blind in the story? Is it a physical ailment or a mental block? The narrator is never given a name in the story, making him the most impersonal character in the story. This also adds to the fact that the narrator is highly ignorant about his surroundings and has a one-sided, self-absorbed view of the world. The perception of the narrator leaves much to be inferred in many points in the story, and at first, it seems pointless to have such a closed off character and the one telling his point of view. I would like to hear the story from the wife’s point of view or Robert’s. Ultimately, however, the limited point of view of the narrator shows where the true ignorance in the world lies.

    Read More

  • The Damnation Of A Canyon by Edward Abbey

    923 Words  | 2 Pages

    Today, having power is what everybody in this country relies on day to day and couldn't function without it. Every year more and more dams are being built and more man made reservoirs are being created to provide this electricity needed. These dams are very important in my eyes but Edward Abbey carries a different opinion in his writing "The Damnation of a Canyon."

    Read More

  • Henry V Christian King Essay

    526 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play Henry V written by Shakespeare. Henry was presented as the ideal Christian king. His mercy, wisdom, and other characteristics demonstrated the behavior of a Christian king. Yet at the same time he is shown to be man like any other. The way he behaves in his past is just like an ordinary man. But in Henry’s own mind he describes himself as “the mirror of all Christian kings” and also a “true lover of the holly church.

    Read More

  • Thomas Becket's Pride

    337 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the beginning of the play, Becket’s desire is martyrdom. He thinks that it will bring him fame and sainthood, and is therefore proud of becoming a martyr. The fourth tempter expressed Becket’s

    Read More

  • Conflict Between Church and Government Involving Thomas Becket and Henry II

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1162, Henry II, king of England, appointed Thomas Becket, as Archbishop of Canterbury. This was the most important religious position in England. No-one was surprised by Henry’s choice as both he and Thomas were very good friends. They enjoyed hunting, playing jokes and socialising together. Becket was known to be a lover of wine and a good horse rider. Henry II loved to ride as well but his personality was troubled by his fearsome temper. He tried to keep his temper under control by working very hard as it distracted him from things that might sparked off his temper.

    Read More

  • The Pardons of Purgatory

    828 Words  | 2 Pages

    Habits are broken in a series of steps. If followed, one will undoubtedly achieve a freedom, allowing him to pursue the courses of his desires. The process to ultimate freedom does not revoke a man’s appetite, but rather corrects it. The consequence of sin is not happiness. Sin leads only to regret and misery. True desires are those that bring fulfillment, success, and bliss. The plan of divine grace only leads individuals to a life free of unnecessary pain. When men become lords of them self by taming wild desires and consciously consenting to the plan of divine grace, he will live the life of ultimate freedom.

    Read More

  • Redemption Theme in Cathedral by Raymond Carter

    1957 Words  | 4 Pages

    Redemption can be explained as gaining possession of something in exchange for payment. In order to achieve something, one must do something in return. The end result of redemption may be unknown to the person and what their payment is may be a sacrifice. This motif is relayed in the short story, “Cathedral,” by Raymond Carver, by a man who gains new vision from an unlikely source.

    Read More

  • Religious Revelation in Carver’s Cathedral

    1067 Words  | 3 Pages

    The structural and technical features of the story point towards a religious epiphany. The title of the story, as well as its eventual subject, that of cathedrals, points inevitably towards divinity. Upon first approaching the story, without reading the first word of the first paragraph, one is already forced into thinking about a religious image. In addition, four of the story’s eleven pages (that amounts to one third of the tale) surround the subject of cathedrals.

    Read More

  • The Murders In The Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe

    1602 Words  | 4 Pages

    What makes a short story great? Great characters? A great plot? Whatever it is, it does not have as much time to develop as a novel does. However, in limited space, author Edgar Allan Poe creates a brilliant, suspenseful, and brain wracking story. "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" begins by comparing the analytical mind to the game of chess. Eventually, Poe ties in the occurrences of a bizarre incident with a flashback to 18--. Through analyzing the scene and using clues and witnesses' testimonies, a character of great analytical power solves a murder mystery that no one else can even remotely get a grasp on. The story may sound ordinary at first, but upon the completion of the novel, a doubtful reader can change his mind. Edgar Allan Poe's utilization of different literary and writing techniques and his unique development of the story allow readers to indulge in "The Murders in the Rue Morgue".

    Read More

  • The Character of King Claudius in Shakespeare's Hamlet

    3001 Words  | 7 Pages

    Claudius's murder of King Hamlet, the act catalyzing the drama of the play, is presented as a sin of primordial character and cosmic implications. Claudius confesses that his fratricide parallels the murder of Abel:

    Read More

  • Paradise Lost and The Canterbury Tales

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the 14th century, war, and violence were prevalent. The Canterbury Tales were written during the Hundred Years War, when the Catholic Church was dealing with the Western schism, and “Against the darkest period of his life…” (Bloom 14). The story is centered on a group of thirty pilgrims who are traveling to the shrine of St. Thomas at Canterbury (Bloom 14). The pilgrims are all focused on a theme which is backed by the story’s underlying tone of religion.

    Read More

More about Of The Temptations Of Becket In Cathedral By T. S. Eliot's Murder In The Cathedral

Open Document