What 12th century Archbishop of Canterbury, killed by king's men, is featured in plays by T.S. Eliot (Murder in the Cathedral) and the French playwright Jean Anouilh?

The dramatic clash between this 12th-century Archbishop of Canterbury and King Henry II began with a close friendship. Henry appointed his trusted chancellor to the highest religious office in England, hoping to gain control over the Church's power and wealth. However, upon becoming Archbishop, the man embraced his role with unexpected zeal, fiercely defending ecclesiastical privileges against the king's authority. This created a bitter and years-long feud between the two former friends (Review) over the rights of the church versus the power of the state.

The conflict culminated in 1170 after an exasperated Henry II famously cried out, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” Four of the king's knights, interpreting this outburst as a royal command, traveled to Canterbury. They confronted the archbishop inside Canterbury Cathedral itself, striking him down near the altar on December 29th. The murder shocked Christendom, and the archbishop was almost immediately venerated as a martyr.

He was canonized by the Pope just three years later, and his shrine at Canterbury became one of Europe's most popular pilgrimage destinations, famously serving as the goal for the characters in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. This timeless story of faith, power, and betrayal has proven to be enduring dramatic material, inspiring T.S. Eliot's 1935 play Murder in the Cathedral and Jean Anouilh's 1959 work, Becket or the Honour of God.