Becket, the Movie

In the movie Becket, the main character, Thomas Becket exhibits great honor in everything he does. He not only serves as a noble for King Henry II, but he is also later appointed Archbishop of Canterbury. Becket realizes his duties in each of these positions and takes great honor in the positions he has been granted by executing his tasks exceptionally well. Although Thomas Becket lives an honorable life, it is important to also acknowledge when he exhibits dishonor, especially when he ignores the orders of the king in order to show honor for God and His Church. Many times throughout his life, Becket acted without honor, especially with the king. After the king appoints Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, he tries to control and influence Becket’s decisions. In an argument with Becket the king says “You’re chancellor of England; You’re mine!” and Becket responds by saying, “I am also the Archbishop, and you have introduced me to deeper obligations.” Becket basically says that he is now the archbishop, and it is his job to serve God and the people of His Church. This response angers the king and creates more turmoil for the relationship between Becket and King Henry II. Aside from being dishonorable, Becket was also a man of great honor. He was a humble servant who showed reverence to his king. In the movie Becket, Thomas says to the king that “Nobility lies in the man, my prince, not in the towel.” By saying this, Becket states that being noble is a characteristic of a person as a whole, and not of that person’s social status of clarification of profession. Becket honors his job in serving the king and makes clear of it by stating that being a noble is more than just a title to him, but it defines who he is as a person. Another person Becket shows honor for is God. After being ordained as archbishop of Canterbury, Becket realizes that his duty is to serve God and His Church. As archbishop, he is essentially a shepherd, and all the other bishops and priests