Murder in the Cathedral

“We are forced to bear witness.”

The opening lines of the play belong to the chorus. This group of disenfranchised women is unique among the characters of the play, for not only does Eliot deign to give women a powerful role, but they are stand as the collective voice of the poor and powerless. Within the context of the play, the women gain the power to bear witness to the martyring of Thomas Becket. Their act of witnessing imbues the murder with spiritual significance, though they are being forced to watch the event against their will. They are powerless to prevent the death, but their presence has a power all its own.

“They have but one law, to seize the power and keep it,

And the steadfast can manipulate the greed and lust of others,

The feeble is devoured by his own.”

The priests take the stage and criticize the role of temporal, earthly power, contrasting it with the power of religion. Whereas spiritual power is built on the glory of God, the priests view those who hold earthly power as little more than thugs and bullies, for such people fight, manipulate, lie, and steal. The priests posit that although the secular authorities such as the king may be powerful, their power is derived from brutality and immorality rather than from divine glory.