MR BRADSHAW

              Thomas Becket’s Murder

Thomas Becket was King Henry II best friend, he was King Henry’s Chancellor until 1162 when Henry asked him to be the archbishop of Canterbury because he wanted to take over the church courts and make them into the Henry’s Justice Courts for fair justice for everybody including monks and nuns (who usually did bad things). These worked by sending sherrifs around to give justice to the people of England they would question them and collect up evidence as Courts now a days. If the Defence was found guilty, they would be sentenced to death. Henry wanted the Church Courts because they usually gave moderate verdicts so they didn’t get the justice they deserved.Thomas tried to persuade Henry that it was a bad idea but he then later on agreed as he knew his best friend wouldn’t give up on the matter.

The thing was, as Thomas had become the Archbishop he began to serve a new master – God. The ways of God had turned him and he started to be Christian he learnt and lived as a religious person and gave up his rich life. Henry was furious he had trusted this man and all he did was stab him in the back. Then Henry passed a law saying that all serious church courts cases had to be tried again and then sentenced in the king’s courts Thomas refused to accept the law that had been passed and then fled to France. Henry then decided that he would show Thomas that he didn’t need him more than he already had, he had his son crowned the Archbishop of York, Thomas was angry how he dare use the wrong archbishop.

Then later on down the line in 1170 Thomas Becket and Henry II decided they should patch up there friendship. Thomas agreed to work under Henry and came back to live in England to be with his best friend or was that really the reason. Henry, who was quite satisfied with his best friend being back decided to go to Normandy to look after his lands he, had there. But when he was gone hell broke loose, as soon as he was gone Thomas broke his promise he had made to Henry he expelled every single bishop who had supported Henry.

Later on in Normandy Henry heard the news of this expulsion and flew into a rage, “will no one rid me of this turbulent priest” he shouted.

But what Henry didn’t know was his knights had been listening to what he had said and decided to take it into their hands. So they set off for England. When they got there they went to Canterbury Cathedral to hunt down this Thomas Becket.

At the cathedral Thomas was holding a service for a monk outside when the knights came, they grabbed Thomas, threw him into the Cathedral and locked the door behind them. Then he said “don’t lock the door, I will not run from your swords”. Firstly they asked Becket to pardon the men he had expelled. Thomas refused. Then the first knight got out his sword and struck Thomas with it. Then another knight hacked off the top of his head, another stood on his neck and the last knight scattered his brains and blood across the pavement and said “let’s go he won’t be getting up”. So they left him dead in the cathedral.

When Henry found out that his knights had set off to kill Becket he went to try and stop them but by the time he got there he was too late. Henry was distraught and realised that his words may have caused the death of his once best friend, but he did also say that he did neither command nor wish that Thomas would die.

To conclude Thomas Becket was murdered because of himself if he hadn’t done what he did then he wouldn’t have made Henry fly into a rage and the knights wouldn’t have interpreted that he wanted Thomas killed, if Thomas had stuck to his word then he would have lived a longer life. Although the knights were in the wrong also because if Henry wanted Becket killed he would have asked the knights directly but because they took it upon themselves they are also the cause of Thomas’ death.