A Comparative Study of the Characterizations of Thomas Becket, Henry II, and Eleanor of Aquitaine as Presented in Selected Dramatic Literature.

Abstract

This comparative study has explored the nature, process and function of characterization as a dramatic tool to project idea and theme. In particular, the bulk of this study has examined the characterizations of Thomas Becket, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine as dramatic tools which project the ideas and themes of Jean Anouilh in his play Becket, of T. S. Eliot in his play Murder in the Cathedral, of Christopher Fry in his play Curtmantle and of James Goldman in his play The Lion in Winter. Significantly, the study demonstrated the fact that totally different plays can result from varying treatments of the same characters. The analysis of characterization proceeded in two separate, yet related, areas. First, an historical perspective is incorporated as Chapter I and serves as the essential comparative springboard for the remainder of the study. Second, Chapters II through V comprise an analysis of the four plays to determine: (1) the nature, process and function of characterization in each play as it contributes to the conflict, action and theme of each case study and , (2) the similarities and differences in the characterizations of Becket, Henry and Eleanor. The Conclusion to this study confirmed the fact that Anouilh, Eliot, Fry and Goldman each took historic license with the personalities and /or relationships of Becket, Henry and Eleanor. The reasons for taking such license, the most crucial issue to this study, were generally the same: to make an historical play come to life, history, as it st and s, is seldom sufficient. Therefore, these playwrights read "between the lines" of history to discover what motivated these particular historic personalities. Subsequently, each playwright selected and emphasized those traits that best served his theme while, at the same time, ignoring or adjusting those traits that would either create inconsistencies in his vision of the characters he was creating or draw focus away from his theme. Lastly, due to the varying degree of historical license observed, it was concluded that successful historical dramaturgy universally depended more upon the playwright's skill in dealing with the issue of historic license than with his concern for history itself.