I think that there are many ways in which I could teach this topic to a year seven/eight class which would help them to engage with the information whilst also helping to build analytical skills when approaching sources. I have found some sources which I think would be really useful to explore in class:
1. Extract taken from ‘The Life of Thomas Becket’ by Edward Grim (1180)
“After the monks took [Thomas] through the doors of the church, the four aforementioned knights followed behind with a rapid pace. A certain subdeacon, Hugh the Evil-clerk, named for his wicked offense and armed with their malice, went with them - showing no reverence for either God or the saints because by following them he condoned their deed. When the holy archbishop entered the cathedral the monks who were glorifying God abandoned vespers - which they had begun to celebrate for God - and ran to their father whom they had heard was dead but they saw alive and unharmed. They hastened to close the doors of the church in order to bar the enemies from slaughtering the bishop, but the wondrous athlete turned toward them and ordered that the doors be opened ... Without delay the sacrilegious men entered the house of peace and reconciliation with swords drawn ... "Where is Thomas Becket, traitor of the king and kingdom?" No one responded and instantly they cried out more loudly, "Where is the archbishop?" Unshaken he replied to this voice as it is written, "The righteous will be like a bold lion and free from fear," he descended from the steps to which he had been taken by the monks who were fearful of the knights and said in an adequately audible voice, "Here I am, not a traitor of the king but a priest; why do you seek me?" And [Thomas], who had previously told them that he had no fear of them added, "Here I am ready to suffer in the name of He who redeemed me with His blood; God forbid that I should flee on account of your swords or that I should depart from righteousness." ... The murderers pursued him and asked, "Absolve and restore to communion those you have excommunicated and return to office those who have been suspended." To these words [Thomas] replied, "No penance has been made, so I will not absolve them." "Then you," they said, "will now die and will suffer what you have earned." [and] ... With rapid motion they laid sacrilegious hands on him, handling and dragging him roughly outside of the walls of the church so that there they would slay him or carry him from there as a prisoner, as they later confessed. But when it was not possible to easily move him from the column, he bravely pushed one [of the knights] who was pursuing and drawing near to him; he called him a panderer saying, "Don't touch me, Rainaldus, you who owes me faith and obedience, you who foolishly follow your accomplices."... He had barely finished speaking when the impious knight, fearing that [Thomas] would be saved by the people and escape alive, suddenly set upon him and, shaving off the summit of his crown which the sacred chrism consecrated to God, he wounded the sacrificial lamb of God in the head; the lower arm of the writer was cut by the same blow. Indeed [the writer] stood firmly with the holy archbishop, holding him in his arms - while all the clerics and monks fled - until the one he had raised in opposition to the blow was severed ... Then, with another blow received on the head, he remained firm. But with the third the stricken martyr bent his knees and elbows, offering himself as a living sacrifice, saying in a low voice, "For the name of Jesus and the protection of the church I am ready to embrace death." But the third knight inflicted a grave wound on the fallen one; with this blow he shattered the sword on the stone and his crown, which was large, separated from his head so that the blood turned white from the brain.”
Teaching the relevance of this source to this class:
I think that some aspects of this source could be quite complex for a KS3 class. Therefore, it would be beneficial to let the students read through the text individually and see what aspects they can identify by themselves, then go through their ideas on the board by annotating a projection of the text. After this, the students could then answer questions in their exercise books along the lines of those below.
What is this source?
An eye witness account of the murder of Thomas à Becket.
Who produced it?
The extract is taken from Edward Grim’s biography of Thomas à Becket. It was published in 1180, ten years after Becket’s murder.
When was it written and why is this important?
1180 – it is a source which was produced relatively close to the time of the event.
What does it tell us? (Give details and quotes).
It reveals the details of the murder, including how Grim himself was injured in the attack and why the Knights have come to find Becket, deeming him a ‘traitor’ and asking him to revoke the excommunication of the bishops: ‘The murderers pursued him and asked, "Absolve and restore to communion those you have excommunicated and return to office those who have been suspended."
What evidence can you find which shows the author’s personal opinions? What are these opinions?
The source reveals that Grim was very sympathetic towards Becket. He describes him as ‘wondrous’, ‘brave’ and ‘sacrificial’ whilst the Knights are deemed as ‘sacriligous’ and ‘murderous’, clearly revealing his opinion that Becket was unjustly murdered and was martyred.
2. Print of ‘King Henry II whipt by the Popes Order’
I have found some really interesting ideas on the TES website of exercises to make the topic interesting for the class. I really like one idea put forward which was for students to produce a ‘murder booklet’ in which they play the role of detective and note the possible suspects, motives and events of the murder. This would help the pupils to place information from the sources and knowledge gained in class into separate sections, charting the reasons for the murder, what happened and the possible reasons for its occurrence. Below is an example taken from the website which I could adapt for my own lesson:
Another task could be to produce a newspaper article about the murder, including images and quotes from the sources.
Canterbury as a sight of pilgrimage
Nicola Coldstream’s essay ‘Canterbury Cathedral and the Cult of Thomas Becket’ in The History of British Art 600-1600, David Bindman, ed. (London: Tate Publishing, 2008) describes the growth of Canterbury as a site of pilgrimage, stating that following Becket’s canonization, the cathedral became ‘a symbol of the conflict between the secular and ecclesiastical powers’ (p. 70). Pilgrims came to visit the relics of the saint: Becket’s scalp was displayed in the rotunda behind the high altar and the reliquary containing his relics was placed over his tomb. It was believed that by visiting Becket’s shrine and the north transept where he was murdered, pilgrims could be alleviated of health complaints and receive miracles in return. The cathedral was decorated with tributes to Becket, purbeck marble, stained glass accounts of his life and death and the floor mosaic all celebrating the Saint. Pilgrims could also purchase pilgrim badges as proof of their visit. Canterbury Cathedral was the destination of the travellers in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (late C14th).
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