About the work
Jean Anouilh's drama „Becket or the Honour of God" („Becket ou l'Honneur de Dieu") was premiered in Paris in 1959. It tells of the friendship and deadly conflict between King Henry II of England and his chancellor and later archbishop Thomas Becket in the twelfth century. Anouilh combines historical drama with the question of honour, power and meaning.
Plot
King Henry II raises his friend, drinking companion and confidant Thomas Becket to Lord Chancellor, believing he is thereby securing a devoted ally against the Church. When the see of Canterbury falls vacant, the king has the worldly, cynical Becket elected archbishop — expecting in this way to control the Church. But in his new office Becket finds a cause he had never known before: „the honour of God". He defends the rights of the Church uncompromisingly against the king, and friendship turns to bitter enmity. Becket goes into exile, returns and remains unyielding. In a fit of rage the despairing king asks whether no one will rid him of this turbulent priest — whereupon four knights strike Becket down at the altar of Canterbury Cathedral.
Cultural significance
„Becket or the Honour of God" ranks among the most significant French postwar dramas. Anouilh interprets the historical material as a study of friendship, betrayal and the search for a higher value in a disenchanted world. The material became world-famous through the 1964 film with Richard Burton as Becket and Peter O'Toole as Henry II.