Murder in the Cathedral
Recommended. Age: 16+. A Catholic review of this book for parents.
Our review
Thomas Becket is the Archbishop of Canterbury in England long ago. The king's knights want him to obey the king instead of God. Thomas will not run away, and he is killed in his own cathedral. This short play in verse is about a saint getting ready to die well. Four tempters come to Thomas. The last one is the hardest, because he tempts Thomas to want martyrdom for his own glory. Thomas sees it and says the greatest treason is to do the right deed for the wrong reason. Then he preaches on Christmas morning and goes to his death in peace. Seton assigns it in 12th grade. The poetry is hard, and the play ends with the archbishop's murder, so it is for older teens.
For parents
Read aloud in parts from about fourteen, since it is short and made to be spoken. Independent reading from sixteen or seventeen, which fits Seton's 12th grade placement. Know before you hand it over: an archbishop is killed in his cathedral by four knights, and the Chorus speaks in dark images of blood and defilement. The knights then give smooth reasons for the murder, and a teen should be helped to see through them. Ask: why is the fourth temptation the worst one? Can you do a good thing for a bad reason? What do the knights say to excuse themselves, and where have you heard arguments like that? What does Thomas owe the king, and what does he owe God?