The Martyrdom of Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral

The Conflict Between King Henry II and Thomas Becket

However, he soon began excommunicating all of Henry’s supporters. Henry flew into a rage, shouting the famous phrase: “Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?” and four knights decided to satisfy the king’s wishes. These are the knights mentioned at the beginning of the text, who enter the Cathedral of Canterbury eagerly looking for Becket (line 8: “...furiously cried aloud, ‘Where is this traitor?’”). Already in the first paragraph, Roger of Hoveden designates them as “ignominious” and “satellites of Satan,” making his point of view inferable, and writes their names down so everyone knows they are guilty of the crime which is about to happen.

The Martyrdom and Sacrifice of the Archbishop

On the contrary, the writer glorifies Thomas Becket, who accepts his fate with quiet dignity and is ready to sacrifice his life for God. Roger of Hoveden speaks of an “extraordinary presence of mind” (line 13) and an “unconquerable spirit” (line 19). Becket does not respond to the charge of traitor because he had been loyal to his master, to God, and, when he sees the knights, he bows his head and prays, not resisting his fate.

Symbolism of the Innocent Lamb

This is why, on line 30, he is identified with an “innocent lamb,” a symbol of sacrifice inspired by the figure of the Lamb of God. Becket is such a good person that a man called Edward Grim, loyal to him, tries to shield the Archbishop and loses his own arm. Becket is also referred to as “the righteous man” (line 29). This not only praises him once more but is a form of variation that helps to avoid the repetition of words throughout the text.

The Brutality of the Knights

For this same reason, we find more expressions like “the suffering martyr” (line 34) and “this victim of the Holy Ghost” (line 35). The four knights are indeed presented very negatively, and Roger of Hoveden gloats in their shameful and bloody act. While he is explaining how they killed the Archbishop, he uses the words “fiendlike,” “raging,” “dashed,” and “thrusting”... and describes the colors of the brains and blood of the victim, which are the colors of the two Christian virtues (purity and martyrdom), using them as a reminder of his holiness as he clearly intends on causing an impact on the reader.

Legacy and Public Penance

This crime was committed on sacred ground, at the Cathedral of Canterbury, which makes it even more horrendous. It caused a great impact on the whole of Christendom and Europe. Henry was faced with an angry Church and an angry people, and was obliged to do penance in public for Becket’s death. Three years later, Becket was canonized, and pilgrims have visited his tomb ever since. It is texts like this one that contributed to the propaganda for the canonization.