“Murder in the Cathedral” is a play about
the martyrdom of Archbishop Thomas Becket. Becket returns from France to
England after seven years of exile and is confronted by four Tempters.
The temptations take the form of alternatives from which Becket is obligated to
choose. In confronting Becket, the First Tempter tells Becket to recover
his favors with King Henry to restore the situation that existed before
Becket’s disloyalty. The Second Tempter tells Becket to regain the Office
of Chancellor and use its power for his own glory. Becket is asked by the
Third Tempter to join forces with the barons to overthrow the King for the
benefit of both the Church and the barons.
In this paper I would like to discuss the biblical
imageries and quotations found in the “Murder in the Cathedral” through
which T.S Eliot tried to make a Christian verse drama. The play is a preaching
or a herald for the whole Christendom. Martyrdom becomes a metaphor for
Christianity in the play, or how a Christian should respond to God.
I would like to introduce the division of the Holy Bible
for the easy understanding of the Biblical reading of the drama “Murder in the
Cathedral”
Mainly there are two divisions in the Bible, viz, The Old
Testament and The New Testament and these two books consists of:
The Old Testament
There are 39 books in the Old Testament, generally
separated into 4 divisions:
The Pentateuch traditionally designated as the 5 books of
Moses.
Historical Books, number 12, from Joshua to Esther.
Poetical Books, number 5, from Job to Song of Solomon.
Prophetical Books, including the writings of the 5 Major
Prophets, from Isaiah to Daniel, and the 12 Minor Prophets from Hosea to
Malachi.
The New Testament
There are 27 books in the New Testament, generally
separated into 4 divisions:
The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
Historical Books (Acts)
Doctrinal Books (Romans, I Corinthians, II Corinthians,
Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I And II Thessalonians, I And II
Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, I Peter, II Peter, The Epistles Of
John, Jude)
Prophetical Book (Revelation)
1. You hold the skein: wind,
Thomas, wind
The thread of eternal life and death…”( line 520)
This theme is developed into a kind of paradox through
which Becket defines his destiny – his martyrdom. Becket links the
Christmas / Birth and Passion / Death together to express the full meaning of
martyrdom. Eliot implies a great deal with the term “martyrdom,” most
likely his own view of Christianity, when he has Becket say:
A martyrdom is never the design of man; for the true martyr
is he who has become the instrument of God, who has lost his will in the Will
of God, not lost it but found it, for he has found freedom in submission to
God. The martyr no longer desires anything for himself, not even the
glory of martyrdom.
2.
Who has stretched out his hand to the fire, etc. (line 14-16)
The chorus are reminding themselves of the feast of St.
Michel and all angels a month or so before. Did they and their fellow cottagers
of Canterbury really remember the saints and martyrs, as they
stretched out their hands to the fire? Did not St. Peter stretch out
his hand to the fire also, when he denied his master (Mark 14. 66-68)? Implied
in these questions are the further questions: will not another saint, their
arch bishop soon be among them? Will they behave like St. Peter and deny their
master too?
Reference 1: (Luke
22:54-62 (Matthew 25:69-75; Mark 14:66-72; John 18:15-18, 25-27)
Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the
high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off.
And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall,
and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.
But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and
earnestly looked upon him, and said, this man was also with him.
And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.
And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou
art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.
And about the space of one hour after another
confidently affirmed, saying, of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he
is a Galilean.
And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And
immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.
And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter
remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, before the cock
crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.
As Jesus predicted, Peter denies his association with him.
Jesus also predicted the same for all his other disciples, but Mark doesn’t
narrate their betrayals. Peter’s is interwoven with Jesus’ trial, thus
contrasting true confessions with false ones. Peter’s actions are first
described at the beginning of the trial, making this a “sandwich” narrative
technique employed so often by Mark.
In order to emphasize the faithlessness of Peter, the
nature of his three denials increases in intensity each time. First he gives a
simple denial to a single maid who claims that he was “with” Jesus. Second he
denies to the maid and a group of bystanders that he was “one of them.”
Finally, he denies with a vehement oath to a group of bystanders that he was
“one of them.”
It is worth remembering that according to Mark, Peter was
the first disciple called to Jesus’ side (mark1:16-20)
Reference 2: (Mark 1:16-20 (Matthew 4:18-22; Luke 5:1-11)
Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and
Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make
you to become fishers of men.
And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.
And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James
the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending
their nets.
And straightway he called them: and they left their father
Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.
And the first who confessed that Jesus was the Messiah
(mark 8:27-29).
Mark 8:27-29
And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of
Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, whom
do men say that I am?
And they answered, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias;
and others, One of the prophets.
And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And
Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.
Nevertheless, his denials of Jesus may be the most vehement
of all. This is the last we see of Peter in Mark’s gospel and it’s unclear
whether Peter’s weeping is a sign of repentance, contrition, or prayer.
3.
Happy December (line
47)
Happy because it is the month of the birth of Christ,
Reference 3: (Luke 2:8-20 (Matthew 1:18-25)
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the
field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the
glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I
bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a
Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the
heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will
toward men.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them
into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto
Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made
known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and
the babe lying in a manger.
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the
saying which was told them concerning this child.
And all they that heard it wondered at those things which
were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her
heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for
all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
And, because of the martyrdom of Thomas, about to happen (though
they do not know it).
4.
Until the grinders cease, etc. (line 141)
An allusion to the famous passage in the last
chapter of Ecclesiastes, that seems to foretell the end of all things:
Reference 4: (Ecclesiastes 12:3-6)
In the day when the keepers of the house shall
tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease
because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound
of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all
the daughters of music shall be brought low;
Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and
fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the
grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his
long home, and the mourners go about the streets.
We will find several interesting metaphors in this passage.
The "keepers of the house" in verse 3 are a person's arms. We work
with our hands and arms, and they keep the house. In time, they begin to
tremble—he is referring to the progression of old age.
"The strong men bow down"—the legs, the knees,
begin to get weary, to bow from the weight of the body on top of them.
"When the grinders cease"—a person's
teeth—"because they are few"—they are falling out. "And those
that look through the windows"—are the eyes, which are growing dim.
"When the doors are shut"—when the older person
tends to stay inside because he feels more comfortable and safe being closed up
in the house.
"And the sound of grinding is low"—he refers to
work cycles, using the grinding of grain as a representation of work in
general. Apparently, in those days, the whole community ground grain together.
The town would have one mill, and everyone would come and have a lot of fun,
laughing and enjoying the friendship companionship, and fellowship with others
at the mill. But as a person gets old, he does not have the strength to go to
the mill and enjoy the pleasures of that work.
"When the almond tree blossoms"—it turns white.
"And the grasshopper is a burden" is an
interesting picture. Everybody knows how light a grasshopper is, but even the
lightest thing becomes a burden to an older person because he is losing his
strength.
"For man goes to his eternal home"—the
grave—"and the mourners go about the streets." Death is seen as the
climax of a process that began with birth and the strength of youth.
Of course, several readings are possible on these
metaphors.
5.
Here is no continuing city (line 144)
Reference 5: (Hebrews 13:14-15)
For here have we no continuing
city, but we seek one to come.
Materiality in this world is very temporal and nothing is
permanent as chorus itself declares the value of life and possessions. The
material benefits we gather from the physical properties are absolutely
momentary and they will never ever cherish our selves-the soul is detached from
the world and is not taken part in the worldly business of the body that deals
with. The city here stands for the material properties we pile up for the
personal pleasure and benefits day by day.
We can Compare the parallels between the presentations of
Becket's return to Canterbury in Part I and the accounts of Jesus' entrance
into Jerusalem in the New Testament.
Matthew 21:1-11 (Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:28-40; John
12:12-19)
And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to
Bethphage, unto the Mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and
straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and
bring them unto me.
And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord
hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken by the prophet, saying,
Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto
thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their
clothes, and they set him thereon.
And a very great multitude spread their garments in the
way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them in the way.
And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried,
saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of
the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was
moved, saying, Who is this?
And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of
Nazareth of Galilee.
Becket's return to Canterbury is clearly framed in terms
that allude to Jesus' "Palm Sunday" entrance into Jerusalem. For
example, the Messenger's description of how the crowds are greeting the
returning Becket-"with scenes of frenzied enthusiasm, (Lining the road and
throwing down their capes,) Strewing the way with leaves and late flowers of
the season"-is surely intended to remind Eliot's audience of Jesus'
so-called "triumphal entry" into the holy city of Jerusalem on Palm
Sunday: "Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread
leafy branches that they had cut in the fields". In some Christian
liturgical traditions, Palm Sunday is also called "Passion Sunday,"
to indicate that it is the beginning of Jesus' sufferings. Thus, Eliot strongly
associates Becket's "triumphal entry" into Canterbury with Jesus'
"triumphal entry" into Jerusalem-a seeming victory procession that
leads to martyrdom and death, and can therefore be considered victorious only
in hindsight, through the eyes of faith, on the far side of resurrection. (A
further allusion to the Palm Sunday narrative, incidentally, occurs when the
second priest tells the women to keep silent, earning himself a rebuke from
Becket. In a similar way, Jesus rebuked the religious authorities of his day
for ordering the crowds who welcomed him to keep silence: Jesus told them,
"I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out" [Luke
19:40].) Overall, these parallels are meant to establish Becket as a salvific Christ-figure
whose death will bring the blessing of transcendence to humanity.
The fourth tempter is a surprise not only to
Thomas but to the audience, and he offers a temptation we may not
have thought of. Thomas says ‘ I expected three visitors, not four’ (476-477) because Christ was subjected
to three, not four , temptations in the wilderness (Matthew 4.1-10) and
these three are somewhat parallel to those which Thomas faces
,being (1) temptation to gratify bodily hunger, (2) temptation to grasp worldly
power over ‘all the kingdoms of the earth’ and (3) temptation to misuse
supernatural power , in Christ’s case by performing a showy miracle. The fourth
tempter, therefore, comes as a surprise, and it takes longer for Thomas to
see through his seductive, but specious arguments.
The Fourth Tempter is the most important because he tells
us, “I am only here, Thomas, to tell you what you know.” (Line 527)
The Fourth Tempter tells the reader what is going on in
Becket’s mind. His advice to Becket is to “Fare forward to the end.”
(Line 502)
Becket listens to this Tempter because it is his own
thoughts that confront him. The Tempter tells him, “But think,
Thomas, think of glory after death.” (Line 528)
Becket’s reaction is negative, “I well know that
these temptations, Mean present vanity and future torment.” (Line 586)
and decides, “The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the
right deed for the wrong reason.” (Line 667)
Becket decides that he must not let the possibility of
receiving glory after his martyrdom affects his receiving that martyrdom.
He must “no longer act or suffer” but lose “his will in the Will of God.”
Destiny will take its course. This echoes the Chorus of Women at the
beginning of the play: “Destiny waits in the hand of God, shaping the still
unshaped…”
Becket, faced with the temptation and his own certain
death, does the only thing he can do. He awaits destiny, the Will of God,
his certain death, neither acting or suffering. It is a death with no
thoughts of glory, for that would mean damnation. In his acceptance of
death, Becket is free. It is his submission to the Will of God that sets
him free.
A major theme begins when the Fourth Tempter tells Becket:
You hold the skein: wind, Thomas, wind
The thread of eternal life and death…”(line 520)
This theme is developed into a kind of paradox through
which Becket defines his destiny – his martyrdom. Becket links the
Christmas (Birth and Passion) Death together to express the full meaning of
martyrdom. Eliot implies a great deal with the term “martyrdom,” most
likely his own view of Christianity. A martyrdom is never the design of man;
for the true martyr is he who has become the instrument of God, who has lost
his will in the Will of God, not lost it but found it, for he has found freedom
in submission to God. The martyr no longer desires anything for himself,
not even the glory of martyrdom.
Martyrdom becomes a metaphor for Christianity in the play,
or how a Christian should respond to God.
Reference 6: (Luke 4.1-13(Matthew 4.1-11; Mark 1.12-13)
And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from
Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he
did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God,
command this stone that it be made bread.
And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man
shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed
unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give
thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I
will I give it.
If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me,
Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only
shalt thou serve.
And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle
of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down
from hence:
For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over
thee, to keep thee:
And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any
time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt
not tempt the Lord thy God.
And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he
departed from him for a season.
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee:
and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and,
as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up
for to read.
And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet
Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was
written,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed
me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to
set at liberty them that are bruised,
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the
minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue
were fastened on him.
And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture
fulfilled in your ears.
And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious
words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's
son?
And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this
proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum,
do also here in thy country.
And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted
in his own country.
But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in
the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when
great famine was throughout all the land;
But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a
city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.
And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the
prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these
things, were filled with wrath,
And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him
unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast
him down headlong.
But he passing through the midst of them went his way,
And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught
them on the sabbath days.
And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was
with power.
And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of
an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,
Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou
Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the
Holy One of God.
And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out
of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and
hurt him not.
And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves,
saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the
unclean spirits, and they come out.
And the fame of him went out into every place of the
country round about.
And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's
house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they
besought him for her.
And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left
her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.
Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick
with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one
of them, and healed them.
And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying,
Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to
speak: for they knew that he was Christ.
And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert
place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he
should not depart from them.
And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to
other cities also: for therefore am I sent.
And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.
Thomas says “watch” (line 250), it could be a
direct reference to “watch therefore: for ye know not at what hour your
lord doth come” (Mark 13:32-37)
Reference 7: (Mark 13:32-37 (Matthew 24:36-44; Luke
21:34-36)
But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the
angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time
is.
For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who
left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work,
and commanded the porter to watch.
Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the
house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the
morning:
Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
In essence, these verses are Christ's opening statement on
how to be prepared and how to use your time and energy when the evidence of His
return begins to appear.
Although we definitely know that we are living in the time
of the end, we do not know exactly when Christ will return. So we have to live
in readiness every day. The theme of this brief parable is expectation. Knowing
the general signs of His coming, we live expecting the unexpected.
He illustrates this by comparing His coming to that of a
thief. We normally do not look for thieves. Understandably, thieves do not
advertise their coming, but by taking precautions, we prepare against their
coming. All of us lock our houses and hide our valuables in safe places. Some
of us have installed security alarms and exterior lighting to discourage
burglary.
In the same vein, Jesus urges His people to be vigilant,
alert, wakeful, and constantly watchful because a thief's principal weapon is
surprise. Even to those who are aware, His coming will occur with jarring
suddenness—and more so to those who are distracted by ordinary occupations,
"eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage." The teaching
in this parable is that to live without vigilance is to invite disaster.
6.
Who bind and loose
(line 378)
Reference 8: (Matthew 16:13-20 (Mark 8:27-30;Luke 9:18-20)
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he
asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist:
some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the
Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou,
Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my
Father which is in heaven.
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon
this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it.
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of
heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and
whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man
that he was Jesus the Christ.
This refers to Matthew 16. 19. “and I will give unto
thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven.” This power was given by Christ to St. Peter. Later (line
510) the fourth tempter tries to encourage Thomas to presume upon it.
7.
To make, then break, etc. (line 470)
The tempter has suggested that Thomas has no hope of
reconciliation with the king (423-424) and that he should ally himself with the
barons (445) to break the power of the king, whom, in his heart, Thomas still
dearly loves (425). Thomas rejects this, preferring to trust god only if he
cannot trust the king any longer (458 -459). But to make, then break the royal
power, though he had thought of the possibility before, would in his present
circumstances, be the hopeless attempt of a failing man (471)and would only
achieve what Samson achieved in Gaza (473), when he pulled down the
pillars of the house in which three thousand of the philistines had gathered to
watch him do feats of strength ; and so pulled down the same destruction on
himself (judges 16: 21-30). Yet
Thomas, were he now to attempt to break the king ,would fall short of Samson's
triumph, and would only destroy himself (473)
Reference 9: (Judges 16:1-31)
Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw
there an harlot, and went in unto her.
And it was told the Gazites,
saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in,
and laid wait for him all night in
the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying,
In the morning, when it is day, we
shall kill him.
And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and
took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with
them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the
top of an hill that is before Hebron.
And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the
valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said
unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what
means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we
will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.
And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein
thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.
And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green
withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven
green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the
chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he
brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his
strength was not known.
And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me,
and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.
And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes
that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith,
and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers
in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a
thread.
And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me,
and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto
her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.
And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The
Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away
with the pin of the beam, and with the web.
And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee,
when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and
hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.
And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her
words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There
hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from
my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall
become weak, and be like any other man.
And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart,
she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this
once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines
came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a
man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began
to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he
awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and
shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.
But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and
brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind
in the prison house.
Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he
was shaven.
Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together
for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they
said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.
And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for
they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer
of our country, which slew many of us.
And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that
they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for
Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him
between the pillars.
And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand,
Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may
lean upon them.
Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords
of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three
thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.
And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God,
remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O
God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.
And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which
the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand,
and of the other with his left.
And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he
bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon
all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were
more than they which he slew in his life.
Then his brethren and all the house of his father came
down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and
Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty
years.
8.
Supreme, but for one. (line
523)
The evil one. compare the last temptation of Christ in the
wilderness in-
Reference 10: (Matthew 4: 8-9)
Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high
mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if
thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Thomas does not understand the allusion and it is not for
the tempter to explain it, since by doing so he would remind Thomas of Christ’s
example in withstanding the temptation.
Satan's power is over all the nations of the earth. That
could be very frightening when we realize he can influence men in such a way
that they are not even aware that they are being influenced toward evil. His
power is so extensive that he is over all the nations of the earth. Jesus calls
him the ruler of this world:
John 14:30
Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of
this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
He affects people's attitudes by moving our reasoning
processes toward satisfaction of the self. He gives disinformation and stirs up
our spirit.
Here is what is so perverse about this: It is not evil for
one to take care of himself. What is evil is to make the satisfaction of the
self more important than God or others. We are to serve God before all else
(the great commandment), and the second is like it—we are on an equal par with
others physically. Nowhere are we given the right or privilege by God to make
ourselves greater than or more important than God or other human beings.
We can imagine the direction Satan is going to move us
toward—to the point that satisfaction of the self becomes more important than
conforming to what God says is the limit of our authority. In other words, he
will push us toward making ourselves greater or more important than
righteousness or truth.
9.
Venial sin (line 669)
Sin that is pardonable, not mortal or deadly. A man who
died in deadly sin, unrepented and unconfessed was held to have incurred
damnation. The deadly or ‘head-sins’ are pride, envy, anger, lust,
gluttony, avarice and sloth. Thomas is recalling the ‘natural vigour’ of our
self -interest in the pursuit of pleasure and self-advancement that is
with us from birth, and often leads a man into loving Christ, a venial sin
pursued may easily lead to the deadly one of rejecting the love of Christ for
‘the love of created beings’
Reference 11: (Galatians 5:16-26)
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not
fulfil the lust of the flesh.
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit
against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye
cannot do the things that ye would.
But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;
Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath,
strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:
of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they
which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with
the affections and lusts.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one
another, envying one another.
An introit is a variable part of the mass , composed of a
vesicle or sentence with phrases taken from the psalms, or elsewhere in the
bible, said or sung, as the priest approaches the alter to celebrate the
Eucharist.
10. Princes moreover did sit, and
did witness falsely against me. (line29)
Reference 12: (Psalm 119, 5.23)
Princess also did sit and speak against me. (mark,14.56)
for many bore false witness against him.
11. In the midst of the congregation
he opened his mouth. (line35)
Reference 13: (Psalm 22, 5.22)
In the midst of the congregation
will I praise thee
12. That which was from the
beginning …declare we you. (Line 36)
Reference 14: (1 John 1:1 (john 1:1-5)
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard,
which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have
handled, of the Word of life.
Who are "we" and "our" here? They are
the apostles of Christ: Peter, James, John, Andrew, and even Paul. Why would
they be unimpeachable as sources? John tells us why: "We were with the
Boss for three and a half years. We heard our Lord, Master, and Savoir with our
own ears, saw Him with our eyes, watched Him do miracles, saw Him walk on the
water. We touched Him. We ate with Him. We slept by Him." It really makes
a difference to have good sources, and eyewitnesses are among the best.
13. Out of the mouth of very babes (line 42)
Reference 15: (Psalm 8.2)
Out of the mouth of babes and suckling hast thou ordained
strength because of thine enemies.
14. They sung as it were a new song. (Line 44)
Reference 16: (Psalm 96.1)
Sing unto the lord a new song.
15. The blood of thy saints. (Line 45)
Reference 17: (Psalm 79.2-3)
They have given…the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of
the earth. Their blood have shed like water round about Jerusalem.
No man bury them. (Line
46)
16. Reference 18: (Psalm 79.3)
Their blood have they shed like water round Jerusalem; and
there was none to bury them.
17. Avenge, o lord, the blood of
they saints. (Line 46-47)
Reference 19: (Deuteronomy, 32. 43)
Rejoice, o ye nations, with his
people for he will avenge the blood of his servants.
18. In Rama, a voice heard, weeping (line 47)
Reference 20: (Matthew 2:16-18)
In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation and weeping,
and great mourning, Rachael weeping for her children and would not be comforted
because they are not.
19. Rejoice we all, keeping holy
day. (Line 50)
Reference 21: (Psalm 42. 4)
In the voice of praise and thanks giving: among such as
keep holy-day.
20. He lays down his life for the
sheep. (Line 52)
Reference 22: (John
10:11-18)
I am the good shepherd: the good
shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
But he that is an hireling, and not
the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the
wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep,
and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and
scattereth the sheep.
The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth
not for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of
mine.
As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I
lay down my life for the sheep.
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also
I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and
one shepherd.
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my
life, that I might take it again.
No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I
have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment
have I received of my Father.
Matthew 18:10-14 (Luke 15:1-7)
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for
I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my
Father which is in heaven.
For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of
them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the
mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he
rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not
astray.
Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in
heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
21. The mark of the beast … the
blood of the lamb. (Line 356-357)
Reference 23: (Revelation 19:17-21)
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a
loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and
gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of
captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them
that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and
great.
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their
armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and
against his army.
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet
that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received
the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast
alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat
upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were
filled with their flesh.
Revelation 7:13-17
And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are
these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me,
These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their
robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him
day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell
among them.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither
shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed
them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe
away all tears from their eyes.
A mocking allusion to Revelation 19:17-21 and 7:13-17.
Thomas has already alluded to the former in saying we have fought the beast and
conquered (347-348) He means that he has fought the evil of the tempters and
has overcome it. Compared with the anguish of his effort against temptation,
the anguish of martyrdom is easier to endure.
When the Four Knights mock Becket before slaying him, they
chant a sing-song like piece of doggerel which compares Becket to Daniel. Here
a greater understanding of Daniel lead to a greater understanding of Becket, as
Eliot presents him.
Daniel 3:1-18
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height
was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the
plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the
princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the
counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the
dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges,
the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the
provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that
Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that
Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O
people, nations, and languages,
That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute,
harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and
worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same
hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound
of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the
people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden
image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and
accused the Jews.
They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king,
live for ever.
Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall
hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and
all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:
And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should
be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs
of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king,
have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image
which thou hast set up.
Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the
golden image which I have set up?
Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of
the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music,
ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship
not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace;
and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the
king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us
from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O
king.
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not
serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
The titular hero of the biblical book of Daniel, who
remains steadfast to God in the face of pressures to assimilate to a pagan culture.
Ezekiel 14:14, 20 also praise Daniel as an exemplar of righteousness, even as
Becket is as he faces death. Ironically, of course, Daniel, according to the
Bible, was delivered from the lions' den as a consequence of his faithfulness
to God.
Daniel 6:1-28
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty
princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;
And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first:
that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no
damage.
Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and
princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set
him over the whole realm.
Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion
against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor
fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found
in him.
Then said these men, we shall not find any occasion against
this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.
Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the
king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.
All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the
princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to
establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask
a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be
cast into the den of lions.
Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing,
that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which
altereth not.
Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went
into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he
kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before
his God, as he did aforetime.
Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and
making supplication before his God.
Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning
the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask
a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be
cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true,
according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel,
which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king,
nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a
day.
Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore
displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he
laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.
Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the
king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree
nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.
Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast
him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God
whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.
And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the
den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his
lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.
Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night
fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep
went from him.
Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in
haste unto the den of lions.
And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable
voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of
the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee
from the lions?
Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions'
mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found
in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded
that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of
the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his
God.
And the king commanded, and they brought those men which
had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their
children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all
their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.
Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and
languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men
tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and
stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his
dominion shall be even unto the end.
He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and
wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the
lions.
So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the
reign of Cyrus the Persian.
No such physical deliverance awaits Becket. The archbishop does;
however, seem to mirror the attitude of Daniel's three friends Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, who, faced with death in a fiery furnace for refusing to
worship an idol, declared, "If our God whom we serve is able to deliver
us. Let him deliver us. But if not, be it known to you, O king that we will not
serve your gods." (Daniel 3:17-18). Becket, like Daniel's friends, is
ready to die for God: "Do with me as you will" (p. 76). Thus, the
knights' invocation of Daniel at this point in the text creates a wealth of
allusive value that illuminates Eliot's themes
Reference
1.
“Murder
In The Cathedral”,T.S Eliot
Surjeet Publications,New Delhi
2.
The
Holy Bible,
The New Revised Standard Version
Catholic Edition,
Published By Thomas Nelson
For Theological Publication In
India, Bangalore
Imprimatur: Most Reverend Daniel E.
Pilarczyk
President,National Conference Of
Catholic Bishops,
Washington,Dc,September 12,1991
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