THE FOUR KNIGHTS in 'MURDER IN CATHEDRAL'

 

THE FOUR KNIGHTS

(Reference material for students)

 

In T.S. Eliot's "Murder in the Cathedral," the four knights are:

• Reginald Fitz Urse
• William de Traci
• Hugh de Morville
• Richard Brito

Their motive for killing Thomas Becket stems from the ongoing conflict between King Henry II and Becket. Essentially, they interpret King Henry's frustrated words as a royal command.

 Reasons behind their actions:

• Royal Authority:
• They believe they are acting on behalf of the king. It's implied that King Henry II, in a moment of anger, uttered words that they took as a desire to be rid of Becket.
• They see themselves as loyal subjects carrying out the king's will, upholding the authority of the crown.
• Conflict of Power:
• Conflict of Power:
• The conflict between Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and King Henry II centered on the balance of power between the Church and the state.
• The knights viewed Becket as a threat to the king's authority, believing he was overstepping his boundaries.
• Justification:
• Justification:
• After the murder, the knights attempt to justify their actions to the audience, presenting their perspective as reasonable and necessary.
• They attempt to portray Becket as a traitor.
• Misinterpretation:
• Misinterpretation:
• It is very possible that the Knights acted on their own interpretation of the king’s words, and that the king did not directly order the murder.

In essence, they killed Becket because they believed they were acting in the best interests of the king and the realm, driven by a perception of Becket as a rebellious figure.

The four knights play a crucial and multifaceted role that goes beyond simply being the physical perpetrators of Thomas Becket's murder -

• Agents of Secular Power:
• The knights represent the temporal power of King Henry II. They act as instruments of the king's perceived will, highlighting the conflict between secular and religious authority, a central theme of the play.
• Their presence underscores the tension between the state and the Church, a conflict that defined the historical period.
• Executioners and Justifiers:
• Executioners and Justifiers:
• They carry out the act of murder, the pivotal event of the play.
• Crucially, Eliot gives them extended speeches in prose after the murder, where they attempt to justify their actions to the audience. This serves several purposes-
• It forces the audience to confront the rationalizations used to justify violence.
• It explores the complexities of guilt and responsibility.
• It also shows the difference between the poetic tension of the play, and the more base, prosaic nature of the knights.
• Psychological and Theological Dimensions:
• Psychological and Theological Dimensions:
• The knights' actions contribute to Becket's path to martyrdom. They are, in a sense, fulfilling a role in Becket's spiritual journey.
• Their presence raises questions about free will, fate, and the nature of sacrifice.
• Breaking the Fourth Wall:
• Breaking the Fourth Wall:
• By addressing the audience directly, the knights disrupt the dramatic illusion and engage the audience in a direct debate about the events of the play. This technique adds a layer of complexity to the play's exploration of moral responsibility.

In essence, the four knights are not merely villains; they are integral to the play's exploration of power, faith, and the complexities of human action.

The knights' justification of their actions in "Murder in the Cathedral" serves several key purposes within the play:

• To Present a Secular Perspective:
• By giving the knights extended speeches in prose, Eliot shifts the tone from the poetic intensity of the earlier scenes to a more pragmatic, worldly perspective.
• This allows him to explore the clash between spiritual and political authority by presenting the knights' rationalizations for their actions.
• To Engage the Audience:
• To Engage the Audience:
• The knights' direct addresses to the audience break the fourth wall, drawing the audience into the moral debate.
• This forces the audience to confront the complexities of the situation and consider the knights' arguments, even if they ultimately reject them.
• To Explore the Nature of Responsibility:
• To Explore the Nature of Responsibility:
• The knights' justifications reveal their attempts to absolve themselves of guilt.
• They offer various rationalizations, such as claiming they were acting on the king's orders or that Becket was responsible for his own death.
• This raises questions about individual responsibility, the influence of authority, and the nature of justice.
• To Add a layer of Irony:
• To Add a layer of Irony:
• The knights use very logical sounding arguments, to justify a very brutal and illogical action. This creates a strong sense of irony.
• To provide a historical context:
• To provide a historical context:
• The justifications that the knights provide, reflect the political climate of the time. The struggle between the crown, and the church, was very real, and the knight’s arguments reflect those real-world tensions.

In essence, the knights' justifications are not intended to excuse their actions, but rather to provide a deeper understanding of the motivations and complexities that led to Becket's murder.