Canterbury

The story between Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Henry II Curtmantle, King of England, is perhaps the most intriguing story of the Medieval Ages, in terms of its complexity: friendship, then opponents, followed by slaughters, but eventually forgives. It demonstrates a cruel moral: power destroys personal friendships.

Thomas and Henry's conflicts also could be explained as the conflicts between ecclesiastical power and secular power, which was a long-term issue in Medieval Europe.

“Know you the things which you did wrong?”

“I did not do anything wrong, but had an unhappy relationship with our king who used to be my best friend.” As soon as Thomas Becket, the archbishop of Canterbury, answered the question of the knights, his life ended up with a great sound of a sword.

Conflict between the king and the archbishop was not of sudden growth. At the beginning of Henry II’s reign, Becket was the Lord Chancellor of the king, as well as the king’s confidant who supported him a lot. Their relationship was still in a happy situation, until Becket was elected as the archbishop with the assistance of Henry in 1162.

“He is trying to control the Christian church, by taking advantage of my trust and the friendship with him,” the archbishop thought, “maybe our friendship ends here.”

In the following years, the archbishop opposed the king in lots of aspects, especially the religion policy. The king didn’t consider that he had done anything wrong, but his intention of reducing the influence of the church really enraged his previous good friend.

The immediate cause of the broken through of their relationship happened in 1170. Henry II, crowned his son Henry who was later known as Henry the Young King, as the co-ruler of himself. This action was taken without consulting the archbishop.

“Complete chaos!”Shouted the archbishop, “How dare he do such terrible thing? He is using the right of the church for his own benefit!”The archbishop quickly made a serious decision, he announced the excommunication of the three clergies who witnessed the coronation of Henry the Young King, and categorically denied prince Henry as the co-ruler of Henry II.

Hearing of the archbishop’s decision, Henry slumped at his throne, complaining furiously.

“Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?”

Perhaps this was only a simple sentence of Henry’s dissatisfaction of the archbishop. However, misinterpreting king’s words, four knights beside the king decided to take action to help their majesty to get rid of what he disliked.

“Let’s go and kill the archbishop who annoyed our brilliant king.” Said Reginald

FitzUrse, the leader of the knights.

“Where is Thomas Becket, traitor to the King and country?”

Knowing that his death would come along soon, Becket went out to see the king’s attendants. “I am no traitor and I am ready to die.”

“You can withdraw what you have said about the king, can’t you?”

“Everything I said is justified, I am just defending the authority of our Christian Church. If you kill me, you will be the betrayer of Jesus Christ for sure.” Answered the archbishop firmly and unshakably.

“For the name of Jesus and the protection of the church I am ready to embrace

death.”

Next day, when the mourn of the martyr Saint Thomas Becket started, Henry II finally noticed that the archbishop had nothing wrong, it was all the king himself’s fault.

“I didn’t tell you to kill him!” The king shouted at his knights grievously and indignantly.

“Now, bury the martyr in the Canterbury Cathedral, in memory of his glory.”