Mystical Visions and Archetypal Imagery in T. S. Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31185/eduj.Vol58.Iss2.4201Keywords:
Keywords: martyrdom, catholic church, Thomas Becket, King Henry II.Abstract
ABSTRACT
This study examines mystical visions and Jungian archetypes in Thomas Stearns Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral (1935) which recounts the martyrdom of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170, yet its significance is still relevant today. Historically the martyrdom resulted from the conflict between King Henry II, who represented royal privileges, and Becket, who represented Catholic Church privileges. In order to grasp these two competing divine and mundane forces depicted in the play, this research adapts a Jungian psychoanalytic approach in its focus on the conveyed mysticism and archetypes. Through this approach, the research seeks to shed light on Eliot’s attempt at bringing his message home to his modern audiences that the passage of time does not deprive martyrdom of its significance, and that faith still counts.
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