43 pages • 1 hour read
T. S. EliotMurder in the Cathedral
Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1935A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Canterbury Cathedral
The play is largely set in and around Canterbury Cathedral. As one of the oldest Christian religious institutions in England, the cathedral is a symbol of Christianity. Already hundreds of years old at the time the play is set, it is a formidable and venerated seat of religious power, and the Archbishop of Canterbury is closely associated with the edifice itself, sharing in this symbolic religious power. Therefore, the cathedral becomes more than just a building, for it represents the centrality of the Christian religion in English life. Because Eliot’s play focuses on the role of religion and England, its action is set entirely within the confines of this physical space. Almost a character in its own right, the cathedral becomes a staging area for the philosophical and physical battle between religion and earthly powers, as well as a mute witness to the martyrdom of Thomas Becket. In the aftermath of the violence, the cathedral endures, as does Becket’s martyrdom, symbolizing the triumph of the religious over the earthly. After the martyrdom of Thomas Becket, the cathedral stands as both a functioning religious institution and a pilgrimage site, for it is imbued with meaning by those who have witnessed the brutal murder. For centuries afterward, people return to this site to show their devotion to Thomas Becket.
The Wheel
Thomas Becket is a religious leader whose talents as a public speaker are evident in his lyrical language, and he uses the symbol of the wheel to convey his belief in the relationship between suffering and action. To Becket, the wheel represents the completeness of God, and while each metaphorical turn of the wheel can bring either good or bad fortune, the wheel itself always continues to turn. Thus, the wheel operates beyond the boundaries of human action, with God continuing to spin the wheel of the world while humans must accept God’s influence on their lives. For Becket, the wheel is a compelling metaphor because it can spin endlessly yet remain still. This seeming contradiction represents the nature of God and religious power. Because characters such as the chorus and the priests have difficulty comprehending God’s will, Becket’s wheel metaphor conveys this unknowability to the audience and the characters alike. With this metaphor, Becket renders complex and contradictory ideas comprehendible for a lay audience. Therefore, the wheel also represents Becket’s talents as a preacher, demonstrating why his religious influence is so feared by the secular powers.
Seasons
The chorus calls upon the seasons as a motif to indicate the passing of time. For the women of the chorus, who have been separated from the spiritual guidance of the Archbishop of Canterbury for so long, each moment that Becket spends in exile is painful. The seasons, which pass through an endless cycle, symbolize the human perception of the passage of time, as the year’s waning is marked through the heat or cold of the day or the leaves falling from the trees. Likewise, the cycle of planting crops and harvesting is another reminder of the extent to which the common people—like those in the chorus—are caught in an inescapable cycle of repetition. Without Becket’s guidance, these passing seasons become painful to endure, and if Becket should die, the prospect of enduring time’s passage without the benefit of his wisdom seems even more torturous.
Related Titles
By T. S. Eliot
