Becket, or the Honor of God Study Questions & Topics for Discussion

Becket, or the Honor of God Topics for Further Study

Research the conflict between Queen Matilda and King Stephen. How does Henry Plantagenet come to the throne? What political maneuvering takes place to establish his dynasty?

Find a print of the Bayeux Tapestry, depicting the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Describe scenes pictured there. Why is this tapestry so important? How does Anouilh draw on the conquest of England by the Normans in Becket? What liberties does he take with the historical record?

Research the relationship between Henry II and Thomas Becket as described in two or three historical accounts. What were the most important conflicts between the two? What larger political issues did these conflicts address?

Read Murder in the Cathedral by T. S. Eliot. Compare and contrast Eliot's depiction of the events with Anouilh's. Using key scenes, present staged readings of both works.