In Murder in the Cathedral by TS Eliot, Thomas Becket was the Archbishop who was banished, and then returned at the beginning of the play. Upon his return, soldiers arrived at the Church to force his surrender. Becket refused to surrender, and was killed. He died because of his own flaws, and not on the basis of fate at all.
The first of Becket's flaws was his want to become a martyr. He realized that he had almost equal power with the king, and decided to disobey him. Becket decided that in order to have the biggest possible impact on the people, he should become a martyr and die for his cause. By letting himself be killed, his spiritual impact would last forever instead of his temporary influence over contemporaries.
The "flaw in Becket's character [is] 'to do the right thing for the wrong reason'" (Kernan, 1014), and this "thing" is becoming a martyr. Becket has committed himself to martyrdom not because he believes he is standing up for his religion, but because he wanted supreme spiritual influence. Becket was a corrupt man who craved power, and would do anything to get as much as he could, including martyrdom.
The Tempters emphasized Thomas's thought process as he decided on martyrdom. They showed that his decision was based on his power-hungry flaws, and not based on fate. Thomas was not helpless because of fate, and he had total control of his life, such as when he said, "I give my life/ To the law of God above the Law of Man./ Unbar the door! Unbar the door!" (Eliot, 74). By saying this, Becket officially declared his martyrdom, and this is due entirely to his own decisions.
In conclusion, Thomas Becket was a tragic hero because he died from his flaws, and was not the pawn of fate. The Tempters were able to convey Becket's ideas of martyrdom, which showed these flaws of "doing the right thing for the wrong reason". Becket had complete control of his life, and therefore did not die from fate.
Works Cited
Eliot, T.S. Murder in the Cathedral. New York: Harvest/HBJ, 1935
Kernan, Alvin B. "A Note on Murder in the Cathedral"