1. The document discusses T.S. Eliot's play "Murder in the Cathedral", focusing on its characters, themes, and significance. 2. It analyzes Thomas Becket as the main character and martyr, and examines analogies between him and Jesus Christ. 3. The chorus of women who comment on the action are discussed in terms of their role in developing the plot and themes.

1. Name:Trivedi Disha Hiteshbhai
Paper no: 9 (modernist literature)
Topic: Modern drama: “Murder in the cathedral”.
Year: 2015-2017
M.A.Sem=3
Submitted to: Smt. S.b.gardi department
of English M. K. Bhavnagar University

2. About author:
 Belong an English family
 In 1914 he left the U.S. And
moved to England.
 He started work in bank and
later on became the director
of the publication house in London.
 His grand father spokes against
the slavery and prostitution.
 During masters he contributed poem to a literary magazine “the
Harvard advocate”.Then became editor of same.
 His first book of poem “Prufrock and other observation”.
 Religious poems :“AshWednesday”, “four quarters”.
 “murder in the cathedral” 1935
 In 1948 won Nobel prize for literature.

4. Characters of the drama
 Thomas Becket: he was the archbishop of
Canterbury and former chancellor of England.
 Chorus: the chorus of drama comprises the poor,
common, and plain women of Canterbury.
 Herald: a messenger
 Three priest: first was characterized by his excessive
mournfulness and worry, second was pragmatism
and third was patience.
 Four tempters
 Four knights
 Henry: king Henry 2
 Pope

5. Thomas becket’s character
 As a main character of play
 As a clergy figure
 A saintly figure
 Passiveness in him
 Human qualities
 Comparisons with Christ
 As a prig
 As a tragic hero
 As a martyr

6. Drama as Eliot’s greatest
triumph as poetic drama
 Play maintains the mood and it is the life-blood of
the play. He uses vivid images to make the poetic
drama more powerful.
 Musical pattern
 Revival of poetic drama
 Suitability of theme
 Its popularity
 Proper idiom
 Lyrical poetry of chorus
 Dramatic dialogue
 conclusion

7. Theme of martyrdom in drama
 The relation between eternity
and present
 Religious significance of the theme
 Thomas Becket as a martyr
 Who should be called a martyr ?
 Defence of church
 Nature of martyrdom
 Blending of divine inspiration
and human co-operation
 The image of wheel

8. Is “murder in the cathedral” a
tragedy ?
 No conventional element of tragedy
 Tone is spiritual, not tragic
 Diction is the play
 Weakness or flaw in the protagonist
 Tragic hero
 The problem of suffering
 As an existential play

9. The temptation episode in the
drama
 Becket return to Canterbury
 all tempters
 Becket’s triumph
 Importance of temptation scene
 Criticism of the scene
 Defence of the scene

10. What is the Significance of
the Apologia of the knights
 Knights the set of attitude
 Their defence
 Secular view of murder
 Explanation by the all knight
 Importance of apologia presented by the
knights

11. Analogies between Christ and Becket:
 Martyrdom is the central theme of the drama.
 Eliot has developed various meaningful and
analogies between Christ and Becket as is the
imitation of Christ very often archbishop appears to
be the symbol of Christ.
 When he becomes witness and suffers, he appears
Christ like.
 He also killed and exalted like christ. He is slain not
for his sin but for the sins of other men. Becket’s
murder is the another crucifixion for the sin of the
world.

12. Chorus in drama:
 The chorus is consisted of ignorant
woman.
 The chorus is made of sweeper
woman of Canterbury.
 They represent the common folk of
Canterbury who do not understand
meaning mystery of martyrdom.
 they find danger and death reflected
upon earth.
 This is their spiritual evolution as a
chorus.
 Eliot use the chorus to open out the
action into its full significance.
 Chorus helps in the development of
plot in the drama.
 it plays very significance role in the
drama.
ChorusWoman’s