Honor versus Friendship in Becket Essay -- Biography Biographies Essay

watch over versus Friendship in Becket Anouilhs Becket offers the story of the relationship mingled with Thomas Becket and atomic number 1 II, world power of England. The relationship begins with the two being fun-loving and teasing friends, develops into a scuffle relationship, and then ends in cold hatred. Because he will not bewilder in to his demands total heat has Becket executed in Canterbury Cathedral. Becket had been Henrys friend and loyal superstar until he became Archbishop of Canterbury. At that point, he was determined his first loyalty was out-of-pocket God and not Henry even though he had back up Henry against the church previously. Becket fled to France in exile before returning to Canterbury where Henry had four barons murder him. It was a decision which Henry would regret and gift penance for the rest of his life. As Anouilh (8) notes in his introduction, this drama remains to a higher place all a tale of two friends ...for this drama of friendship bet ween two men, between king and his friend, his companion in pleasure and diddle (and this is what had gripped me about the story), this friend whom he could not cease to love though he became his worst enemy the night he was named archbishop.... The play is tragic in the sense that the inability of Becket to serve both God and King equally results in his murder at the hand of his friend. Becket is well aware that he cannot be loyal to both Henry and God on the same lev... ...les with amusement, Becket develops a higher spirituality than Henry ever have in his new position. However, though he knows he must take out Becket in order to have control, Henry cannot forgive himself for murdering his old companion. He has himself whipped by monks after Beckets murder Are you satisfied now, Becket? Does this settle our cast? Has the honor of God been washed clean? (Anouilh 126). Becket admits at his death how to a great extent it is to carry the honor of God, but despite the conseque nces of doing so it was an honor he held in higher esteem than friendship. WORKS CITED Anouilh, J. Becket Or The Honor Of God. Hill, L. (trans.). hot York, Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, 1960.