Henry II The Plantagenet vs. Thomas Becket

I have chosen this topic because I wanted to highlight the way of living, the acrimony of the rules and the extraordinary power held by the king that existed hundreds of years ago. From my point of view, the religion is an extremely important power and I was impressed in a negative way for the assassination right in the church of an archbishop. Therefore, this subject really caught my attention and I decided to make more research.

Henry II (1133 - 1189) came to the throne on Stephen of Blois’s death (1154), another grandchild of William I (The Conqueror). When Norman England collapsed into civil war after Stephen finally won, he agreed that the son of Matilda and Geoffrey of Anjou, Henry Plantagenet, would be his successor. As well as being King of England, his own inheritance and his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine made him lord of a large part of France (as a vassal of the French king), and he claimed overlordship throughout the British Isles. He spent most of his reign in his French territories.

When Henry became King, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Theobald, recommended him the priest Thomas Becket. So he was agreed by the king, he was appointed by him, such as Chancellor thus, after the death of Archbishop, Thomas Becket has followed in its place. The Bishop's words would be the beginning of a great conflict: “You will soon hate me as much as you love me now because you arrogating yourself an authority in Church matters that I can’t accept. The Archbishop of Canterbury will have to offend or God or the King.”  

Soon followed the mixture of religion in Civil Affairs to be repressed. At the request of Henry II of defrock a priest convicted, Thomas refused, arguing that an accused can not be punished twice for one crime. In this way, the king was planned to convene a council at Clarendon where, under threat of death, Becket signed Constitutions of Clarendon, who gave favor of the king. But the archbishop did not consider himself bound to an oath provided under duress. It left England and took refuge in Vezelay (after being convicted in a court of barons) where he began to launch excommunications against his opponents.

Finally, Henry II met Becket at Freteval. He was apparently reconciled with him and asked to swear that he will comply with the kingdom. But immediately after, of Becket started to arrive at his request, Pope dismissal letters of bishops whom during their archbishop’s disgrace, betrayed him.

One of the laws introduced by the conqueror was that no subject had no right to correspond with the pope without royal authorization. The king found out and he was filled with great anger: “My people are cowards and heartless people. They do not abide by the loyalty that they due to their dearest; they let me become a priest’s mockery.” Four knights who heard the words of the King left immediately and reaching Canterbury, they had threatened the archbishop.

The testimony of a cleric from Cambridge, the priest Edward Grim, who was just visiting the Cathedral that day, 29 December 1170, is recorded. Unlike other clerics who were in the cathedral next to the archbishop at the time of entry knights, but who fled in all directions when the killers pulled their swords and