The site of his death became a shrine and the destination of the pilgrimage. A cleric could only be tried in Church courts that could not pronounce a sentence of death. Thomas was of Norman ancestry and was educated in France. Still, the situation between the two men was not good, Becket kept on excommunicating all priests who disagreed with him and Henry II at some point said the well-known phrase: “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” According to the legend, four knights of King Henry’s decided to “rid him” of Becket. credit by exam that is accepted by over 1,500 colleges and universities. Thomas Becket, Geoffrey Chaucer and the Canterbury Tales- Evi Routoula Thomas Becket was born in 1118 at Cheapside in London, he was of Norman origins and his family was quite wealthy. The pilgrimage gives Chaucer the opportunity to bring together these unlikely companions, and to compare and contrast their differing perspectives through their evocative tales. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. What makes Thomas à Becket a saint is not his loyalty to the prerogatives of ecclesiastical law over secular law. Becket paid the ultimate sacrifice, laying down his life as a symbol of his faith and devotion. In the Muslim faith, it's Mecca. Canterbury like other sacred place, such as Lourdes and Santiago de Compostela attracts pilgrims. One of the most famous works of medieval literature is based around a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral. Once back in office, Thomas refused to absolve the bishops who had supported the king unless they swore obedience to the pope. Geoffrey Chaucer takes advantage of the pilgrimage to the shrine of Thomas Becket as a frame story for his classic Canterbury Tales. Geoffey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, written between 1387 and 1400, is a long poem concerning a group of thirty pilgrims on their way from Southwark, in south London, to the shrine of St Thomas Becket in Canterbury. You will, if you are not to do an evil, act and be in ways appropriate to being God’s servant as a priest in the Church. and career path that can help you find the school that's right for you. study Christians have many destinations. In the intensity of the call to holy orders the awesomeness and dreadfulness of God’s call on each and every one of us is brought to light. Unable to persuade Becket to relent, they murdered him in front of the high altar on the evening of December 29, 1170. credit-by-exam regardless of age or education level. The tomb of Thomas à Becket became one of the great pilgrimage sites in all of Europe and was a place of miracles and healing. This sent the king into a fit of rage during which he uttered the words, “Have I no friend who will rid me of this upstart priest?” Four of his knights overheard and promptly traveled to Canterbury to confront the archbishop. | {{course.flashcardSetCount}} After the Norman conquest of England in 1066, the French language was the official language of the English state.