Death At Canterbury Essay, Research Paper

Death at Canterbury Cathedral

If only the Canterbury Cathedral could talk, there would be so many things to here about. It has been through two fires, the murder of Thomas Becket, a war, and numerous unknown incidences. Becket, involved deeply with Canterbury, died because of his beliefs in his church.

The Canterbury’s first stones were laid in 597 when Augustine arrived from Rome with a party of Monks to baptize King Ethelbert of Kent(Wright 11). The cathedral has been through two fires. The first of which happened in 1067(Wright 11). It took the people seven years to rebuild the cathedral(Wright 11). Canterbury Cathedral in 1174 again, sees misfortune as windblown sparks catch between the roof and ceiling joist(Wright 11). This time the rebuilding takes ten years, but each time the rebuilding occured slight changes take place in the layout of the building and this is what caused the cathedral we see today(Wright 11). the Canterbury Cathedral is located in the city of Kent(Canterbury 1). The city of Kent is located near the Stour River (Canterbury 1). This river made access to the Canterbury Cathedral readly available to those desiring to attend the well resounded church.

Thomas Becket was well known at the Canterbury Cathedral for many reason. One of them was his administration skills, and that was why he became the Archdeacon at Canterbury(The Story Behind Thomas a` Becket 1-2). King Henry II helped Thomas get elected to the position as Archbishop, so that he would have some say in church matters(Morgan 103). Soon after Thomas was elected in 1162 by the monks of Canterbury, he turned against Henry, which made the King very angry(Morgan 103). The conflicts caused serious problems for Thomas which caused him to flee England, and relocate to France where he stayed for six years(The Story Behind Thomas a` Becket 2). Then in 1170 while King Henry II was visiting France, Thomas returned to England, because it was Thomas’s desire to continue his quest for what he call church rights(The Story Behind Thomas a` Becket 2).Soon after his return to England Thomas was murder in the Canterbury Cathedral by five of King Henry’s knights(Wright 15). The names of the five knights are: Richard Brito, Hugh de Moreville, Reginald Fitzlbise, and William de Tracy(The Story Behind Thomas a` Becket 2). Thomas Becket died late in the afternoon of December the 29 in 1170 (Tennyson 1).

Thomas Becket was murdered because the five knights who took the words of Henry the wrong way. “Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest”(The Story Behind Thomas a` Becket 2). Some of the other reasons that people say that Thomas was murdered were because of the way he went against the king after being elected Archbishop (Morgan 103). Thomas Becket said that church’s have rights and that the king was trying to take them from them (Barber 61). One of these such rights is to able to try people in the Church’s court and not the King’s court (Morgan 103).

Thomas Becket died because he believe strongly in his church. Many people respected this and that is why he became a saint. To this day this day Thomas Becket is well respect among the visiters of the Canterbury Cathedral, and will be for many years to come.