St. Thomas Becket, 2: the Martyrdom

'tis but a scratch: fact and fiction about the Middle Ages

Send us a text

In this episode my co-host Dr. Jennifer Paxton and I explain the principles and personal grievances that led to the martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket and the significance of that event for Church-State relations in medieval England. We also talk about T.S. Eliot’s and Jean Anouilh’s plays about Thomas’ martyrdom, and the movies based on those plays. This is the second of a two part series. If you haven’t already done so, you might want to listen to the first episode in which Jenny and I talk about Becket’s background, his career leading up to his election as archbishop of Canterbury, and his contribution to Henry II’s efforts to restore royal authority in England after a generation of civil war.
This episodes contains audio clips from:
"Becket" (released by Paramount, directed by Peter Glenville, starring Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole, and adapted by Edward Anhalt from a play by Jean Anouilh)
The 12th century song lamenting the exile of Thomas Becket, "In Rama sonat gemitus," performed by Lumina Vocal Ensemble (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c30K1rQsaiI)
The Trim Jeans Theater's adaptation of T.S. Eliot's "Murder in the Cathedral" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYvz1-ThCHY)
Listen on Podurama https://podurama.com

Intro and exit music are by Alexander Nakarada
If you have questions, feel free to contact me at [e-mail]