Resumo de Murder In The Cathedral: Theme And The Chorus

MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL: THEME AND THE CHORUS

T. S .Eliot?s play MURDER in the Cathedral not only deals with martyrdom, but the also with the meaning of it. The simplification of the play, with the cutting down of various scenes, acts and stage-directions contribute to the strengthening of the theme. The meetings with the tempters exemplify the meaning of martyrdom. It is not for the senses, not for political glory, not to conspire against the king and never for ?spiritual glory?. It is not out of a conscious will, but out of complete submission to God?s will. Beckett mentions in the sermon that it is synonymous with the sacrifice of Christ and is reenacted in the ritual of mass. The peace obtained by obtained by martyrdom is not an outward or material one, as in something to do with war. It is an inward one that grows out of internal and external suffering, agony and torture as experienced by the disciples of Christ. The archbishop?s conclusion of the sermon states that it may be his last speech and there was to be the birth of a martyr in Canterbury; which would not be the last. This illustrates the bridging of the gap between the past, present and future; and also the bridging of the spiritual experience of man, that of the day-to-day average goer and the experience on the physical plane. The sermon is addressed both to the audience and the chorus, thus the universal significance of the theme. The definition of the Knight regarding the same as ?suicide? implies that martyrdom is beyond reasoning, logic and justification.
The chorus in Murder in the Cathedral plays such a significant role that critics like Helen Gardener have termed it as ?the protagonist of the play?. It initiates, concludes, comments on and analyses the play. It develops the plot, maintains the continuity and weaves the various incidents into a concrete fabric. At times, it performs the function of a chronicler, reformer and critic. The six choruses possess rich poetry and impart aesthetic value to the drama. Its symbolic significance lends universality to the theme of the play. For instance, the women may stand for prototypes of all people who turn to saints or heroes in timed of utmost need. They are the worshippers at the shrine, the pilgrims to Canterbury and the typical ritual mourners at the Cathedral. The chorus at one level reflects Beckett in its doubts and frustrations. At another level it stands in contrast to Beckett, as the ordinary Christian whose strength lies in the acceptance of some phenomenon that he cannot comprehend.

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