The play is inspired by the murder of the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket on December 29, 1170. In his younger days, although he was already an ordained priest, Becket had been a close friend of King Henry II of England and lived a purely secular life of pleasure. He was appointed Chancellor of England, making him one of the most powerful men in the realm, although he always obeyed the King's authority. However, when Henry II appointed Becket the Archbishop of Canterbury, he left his former life behind. He refused to submit to the King's secular power and, as a result, tensions arose between the two men, forcing Becket to go into exile in France for seven years. The play begins when Becket returns to Canterbury from exile, although he knows that his life is in danger.
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| - The play is inspired by the murder of the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket on December 29, 1170. In his younger days, although he was already an ordained priest, Becket had been a close friend of King Henry II of England and lived a purely secular life of pleasure. He was appointed Chancellor of England, making him one of the most powerful men in the realm, although he always obeyed the King's authority. However, when Henry II appointed Becket the Archbishop of Canterbury, he left his former life behind. He refused to submit to the King's secular power and, as a result, tensions arose between the two men, forcing Becket to go into exile in France for seven years. The play begins when Becket returns to Canterbury from exile, although he knows that his life is in danger.
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| - The play is inspired by the murder of the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket on December 29, 1170. In his younger days, although he was already an ordained priest, Becket had been a close friend of King Henry II of England and lived a purely secular life of pleasure. He was appointed Chancellor of England, making him one of the most powerful men in the realm, although he always obeyed the King's authority. However, when Henry II appointed Becket the Archbishop of Canterbury, he left his former life behind. He refused to submit to the King's secular power and, as a result, tensions arose between the two men, forcing Becket to go into exile in France for seven years. The play begins when Becket returns to Canterbury from exile, although he knows that his life is in danger. Murder in the Cathedral is divided into two parts (both of which are in verse) with a sermon given by the character of Thomas Becket (in prose) between them. The play shows influences of Ancient Greek drama (with its inclusion of a Chorus) and of medieval morality plays in which personifications of vices appear as characters. A performance of the play was shown on BBC television in 1936, the first year that television was broadcast in the United Kingdom. It was adapted as a black and white British film in 1951. An Italian opera based on the play, Assassinio nella catedrale, with music by Ildebrando Pizzeti, was first performed in 1958.
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