0
What were the possible motives for the murder of Thomas Becket?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
The people who killed Thomas Becket were 4 knights of King HenryII because they over heard a conversation saying that the king wanted Thomas gone. To show their loyalty they went to the cathedral.The knights tried to get Thomas out of Whatever the King said, it was interpreted as a royal command, and four knights, set out to the cathedral and tried to get Thomas out of the building (killing someone in a sacred place meant damnation) but he would not move so they struck his head with a sword and then stabbed him.
The four knights were Reginald FitzUrs, Hugh de Moreville, William de Tracy and Richard le Breton.
Henry the II made the remark in his room, " Who will rid me of this terbulent priest?" Henry actually said this out of anger but not in front of the four knights, they simply over heard him.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoNow, that question has many answers. Indeed, it was Henry II that ordered Becket's death, but, did he kill him personally? No, he ordered his knights to do it. And, before we question if it was the knights' responsibility for Becket's death, it can easily be said that they may have been killed themselves had they questioned Henry's orders. So, perhaps it was all Henry's fault. No. If we look into it, it was the faults of four groups. It was mostly Henry's fault, for ordering Becket's death, but, he didn't order Becket's death for a reason. The church was claiming far more power than the King, and everybody was turning to the Church instead of the Monarchy, naturally, this aggravated Henry. And then, it was partly the fault of the Knights, who were not brave enough to question these orders, and to refuse to do it, but carried it out anyway. Some also say that the Knights merely overheard Henry muttering childishly about 'wishing Becket's death' and took it to mean that that was their order from the King, and that if they did not do so, they would be killed. Neither of these sources have been proved, neither have been disproved. people say that all of them were to blame becuse they all did rong.
A few even say that it was the monks' fault, for opening the doors and letting the Knights in, but, firstly, if this source is to be believed, then it was Becket ordering his devoted monks - who, like the Knights, would not question their orders - to open the doors, and allow the Knights in. Secondly, there is no true way of knowing if any of the sources written by anybody over the years have any truth in them, we only know that it happened, and we have only a thumbnail sketch of what happened. Thirdly it could've been Thomas Becket him self's fault as he should have listened to the king and followed his orders, also he used to be best friends with king Henry !!
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoThe four knights said that Henry was to blame,however other people believe that the death was partly the fault of Thomas himself.
Below is a link to a web site with a brief history of the event, and an eyewitnesses account of a monk who was in the church at the time of the murder.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoIt depends. Henry II said "Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?!?"
4 knights then went and killed Thomas Becket, but Henry II, after he heard the news of Thomas Becket's death, was devastated. Henry II didn't mean that someone should murder him, but some people believe that he did mean it. Go to the BBC History for more Info.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoThe murder of Thomas Becket at Canterbury can largely be laid at the feet of King Henry II. Before Becket became the archbishop of Canterbury, he was one of the closest advisors, tutor, and mentor to Henry II. As a reward for his service, Henry II nominated and pushed for Becket to obtain the archbishopric of Catnerbury. Once Becket became archbishop, he attitude changed dramatically. Starting with the Battle Abbey case, Becket opposed Henry II on both religious and secular grounds, stating that the king had no authority within religious institutions. Henry II became increasingly angered with the actions of Becket for one primary reason. Becket was stonewalling Henry II's actions as king. As archbishop of Canterbury, Becket had considerable power within the politics and religious institutions of England. Becket used this power to stop the king from "encroaching" into religious affairs. Becket had to be removed from his position or else people could rally around Becket to oppose the king. While Henry II never explicitly said that Becket should be murdered, the lords that killed Becket at the altar of Canterbury were direct servants to the King.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoKing Henry II
Wiki User
∙ 12y agonaughty naughty nights killed him:p
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoMe mwhahahwhahhahaa
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Why was the king to blame for thomas beckets murder?
The king was to blame for Thomas Becket's murder because he told the knights to kill Thomas but the knights didn't had to do what he said but they did and hit Thomas in the head and killed him. Also Thomas told the monks to leave the door open so the monks did. Also the king shouldn't have wanted to kill him anyway and the Knights had to obey the kings orders
What was the date of Thomas Becketts murder?
No. The top part of his skull was sliced off with a sword (one of several sword blows he received); after the murder the pieces of bone were placed with the body in a stone coffin. It is said that in the 14th and 15th centuries pilgrims who visited the shrine of St Thomas at Canterbury were shown a complete skull (which they were told belonged to the saint) and given the chance to kiss it - this was simply a trick by the monks in order to generate more donations from visitors.
Why was the murder of Thomas Becket such a mystery?
1. Tensions existed in England in the 12th century between church and state.The Archbishop of Canterbury was the head of the church in England, answerable only to the Pope, and he and King Henry II often differed over church rights.2. When the archbishop died, the king had his close friend and chancellor, Thomas Becket, made archbishop. He did this believing that Becket would side with the king in all matters out of friendship.3. Becket - who had lived a good and luxurious life before this - performed his duties as archbishop with surprising sincerity. When a priest was arrested for murder, Becket insisted that he be tried (as was the custom) in an ecclesiastical court, not in a civil one. His dispute with the king over this and other church-state matters led to his self-imposed exile in France for several years.4. When Becket returned to England, he and the king made a shaky peace. The king, still troubled by Becket, said to some of his knights in a fit of anger, "Can no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?" Many doubt that Henry really intended to have the archbishop killed, but four of his knights rode to Canterbury Cathedral where Becket was saying Vespers. Though sensing that his life was in danger, the doors were unbarred, per his directions. Becket was murdered before the altar, one sword blow cutting off the top of his head, his brains scattering on the floor.5. He was soon declared a martyr, and Henry II did public penance at his tomb, which later became a shrine, a site of religious pilgrimage for centuries. It was destroyed by order of King Henry VIII some 400 years later during the Protestant Reformation, when the king confiscated the riches of the shrine, and ordered the saint's body to be burned. Many though think that it was secretly reburied by cathedral monks and still exists. A book on this topic is titled "The Quest for Becket's Bones", by John Butler.Hans J.
Who was responsible for the murder of thomas Beckett?
Many people were responsible for the murder of thomas beckett. you can't blame the knights because they were just cowardly enough to do it and not to question this "decision". the two main suspects were the king and thomas beckett himself. thomas beckett refused to listen to henry at all, so henry felt put out. beckett also decided to not listen to henry about "worshiping" him in a way.beckett only listened to god and the people that had strong beliefs that were to him right. But Henry was to blame as well because he just couldn't stand being ignored - he was an attention seeker. But he still had right to talk to beckett about his behaviour around this situation. Beckett just carried on to do things which were anoying Henry and it just built up into layers and layers of annoyance to Henry. So no wonder he popped, and wanted to get rid of Beckett. But overall I don't think that he meant all of this to turn into a murder. The person that was responsible for Becketts death was Beckett himself.
Who killed Thomas Scott?
Louis Reil ========= No! Louis Riel did not kill anybody! Ambroise Lépine presided over the trial of Thomas Scott. Scott, the most vocal opponent of Riel's provisional government, was executed on March 5, 1870. Lépine was found guilty of aiding in the murder of Scott. On October 10, 1874, Lépine was sentenced to be hanged on January 29, 1875. Later, his sentence was commuted to two years in prison.
Who discovered body of thomas becket?
No one discovered Thomas Becket's body; his murder was witnessed by a number of people. Thomas Becket was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral during Vespers. His murder was witnessed by monks, and we even have a record of the testimony describing the murder from at least one of them.
What year was the murder of thomas becket?
He was murdered on the 29th December, 1170.
Where did the murder of becket take place?
The murder of Thomas Becket took place at Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, England. It occurred on December 29, 1170.
Archbishop of Canterbury by thomas becket?
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.
What kind of drama did TS Elliot write?
He wrote one play called Murder in the Cathedral about the murder of Thomas Becket.
Who was Edward Grim?
Edward Grim was a clerk who witnessed the murder of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Grim's arm was severely wounded in defense of the Archbishop. He later wrote a biography of Becket, including a detailed account of the murder.
What was Edward grim's version of the murder of becket?
edward said that he saw the murder and that reginald turned against him and killed thomas beckett ... !! xx <3 ;]]
What was Murder in the Cathedral about?
"Murder in the Cathedral" is a play by T.S. Eliot that dramatizes the assassination of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1170. The play explores themes of martyrdom, power, and the clash between spiritual and secular authority. It reflects on Becket's moral courage and the consequences of standing up for one's beliefs in the face of political pressure.
What position has Thomas held in the past in Murder in the Cathedral?
In the past, Thomas Becket held the position of Chancellor to the King of England before becoming Archbishop of Canterbury.
Which king of England was wipped in cantebury and why?
Henry the second, it was to do penance for the murder of thomas becket i think not too sure about the reason
Did William fitzstephen see thomas becket's murder?
Yes, it seems William Fitzstephen saw Becket's Murder. There is an article in Wikipedia on William Fitzstephen. Though it is only about three sentences long, it does give us this much information. There is a link to it below.
Were people sad when Thomas Becket died?
Yes, many people were indeed sad when Thomas Becket died. As the Archbishop of Canterbury, Becket was highly regarded as a religious figure and a champion of church rights. His murder in 1170 shocked and outraged many, leading to a popular cult of martyrdom and widespread mourning.
