In Jean Anouilh's play, Becket, Thomas Becket is a Saxon who is the advisor to the king and the Chancellor of England. Becket is later made Archbishop of Canterbury by the king so the king will have control over the church as well. However, once he becomes Archbishop of Canterbury, Becket works on the side of the church and does not let his friendship with the king interfere with his job as Archbishop. Becket begins to love the honor of God, which is different from loving God. Loving God is the actual act of loving God, as a perfect, loving, compassionate Father. Loving the honor of God is different in that loving God's honor is loving the task of serving God wholeheartedly, of protecting God's honor. Becket loves the responsibility, blessings, and respect from his love of God's honor. In Jean Anouilh's play Becket, Thomas Becket is liberated by his love of the honor of God and realizes that his devotion to God, unlike his devotion to the worldly king, brings true fulfillment in life.
Becket's job of advising the king seems to be materially appealing. The king describes their relationship as a "childish prank" (2). Their relationship was based a lot on pranks; it was all fun and games. The use of the word childish suggests that Becket and the king were like children. Young children are not looking for meaning or direction in life; they are just looking to have a good time. The king and Becket's relationship, like childhood, while providing the joy of growing up and the fun that comes along with it, is not providing the full grown Becket with any direction in life. The king explains to Becket about France, "The climate's warm, the girls are pretty, the wine is good" (43). To an outsider, this kind of life would seem attractive. The king and Becket's relationship is more focused on having fun than it is having substantial meaning in life. While with the king, Becket is distracted by the luxury and is unfocused on having true meaning in life.
The statement foreshadows Becket's death because the way that Becket interprets honor is by living. ... Becket answering to the King when the King asks him how he combines, honor and collaboration foreshadows Becket's death. ... Becket lives by God, and honor God. ... If Becket goes against the King then they will be by him and honor him. ... But by a man who lives by God. ...
A great transformation occurs in Becket when he finally finds true honor in his "life's work- (Anouilh 94) defending God. ... Finally, Becket develops from a man who simply exists, devoid of any honor, to a man who will sacrifice anything for his duty in God. Although Becket finds self-purpose in simply serving God, Becket's true honor is realized when he states, "The kingdom of god must be defended like any other kingdom."" ... Louis speaks prophetically when he tells Becket the "honor of God is a very cumbersome thing- (Anouilh 96). ... Yet his honor to God stems even deeper, wor...
In the beginning of the movie, Becket's purpose is to find honor. ... During the middle of the movie, Becket's perception is to find his honor by defending the honor of God (question 25). ... Returning from France and Rome, Becket meets Henry and tells him that he will find his purpose when "the honor of God and the honor of the king become one" (question 35). ... Becket perceives that the only way "for the honor of god and the honor of the king to become one" is if he gives his life (question 42). ... Not in truth, not in God, but in death. ...
In the movie Becket, it is obvious that there is a conflict between church and state. ... The conflict between church and state in Becket is blatantly obvious. Early in the movie Thomas is portrayed as having no honor. ... It is only when he finds honor in God that the problem begins. ... Becket wanted the church and its people to be only subject to God's representative on earth, the Pope. ...
The essences of truth, honor, compassion, allegiance, humility, grace, and integrity were first exposed to us as children, and are no differently exposed to us now. ... Beckett would not yield to the selfish ways of man, and fail to uphold God's Honor and Light; He would not "let Satan blow it out," as the childhood chant would express it. Beckett, as dearly and tightly as he was bound to Henry by love, was even more bound by his integrity to God's Honor, to "Right" over "Might"---and he would uphold this integrity in every form and fashion. ... ...
While priests are known to be honest to God and to themselves, they actually lie and do not abide by their vows at all. ... He swore to pursue Silversleeves" death until his men, sent to arrest Thomas Becket, the chancellor turned churchman, killed him instead. ... The death of Sir Thomas Becket is also the reason behind the pilgrimage to Canterbury in The Canterbury Tales. Although the point of the pilgrimage is to honor Becket , the motives of individual pilgrims range from religious to irreligious. ...
Thomas Becket, ex-Archbishop of Canterbury, current martyr. ... She lets us know she's entitled to make the first offering at church services, an honor carrying great social prestige. ... Her sexuality is in itself a kind of religious devotion, since it glorifies God by making good use of the tools He gave her. ...
The Canterbury Tale's Which book do you remember most having to read in high school? I bet it was Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales". This book having 22 tales with in is a classic of the English literature. Written in the early 1300s it is unknown why it was never finished. For the past c...
Summary It is a dark time for England. Four generations after the Norman conquest of the island, the tensions between Saxons and Normans are at a peak; the two peoples even refuse to speak one another's languages. King Richard is in an Austrian prison after having been captured on his way home fr...
