Question

What is the role of the chorus in murder in the cathedral?

Answer 1

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The chorus in Murder in the Cathedral is composed of ordinary women

of Canterbury who are neither saints like Thomas Becket nor sinners

like the Knights. They are, like the audience, onlookers who witness

the drama and comment on it without intervening.  

At first, the chorus delivers a sense of foreshadowing.

As they approach the cathedral, they note that danger awaits,

but not for them. They state, "There is not danger for us, and there

is no safety in the cathedral."

The chorus serves to warn the audience that danger is coming, and then,

They provide an encapsulation of the past. They explain to the audience

that the archbishop, Thomas Becket, has been away for seven years

and is now returning to Canterbury.

After Thomas returns, the women of the chorus fear for his safety

and beg him to leave Canterbury. When it becomes apparent that he

is to die, they become resigned to his fate. After he is killed, they

suffer intense guilt and state that "We did not wish anything to happen.

" In the end, they offer praise to God.

Their cycle of foreboding, fear, regret, and faith mirrors the feelings

that an everyday person would have in reaction to Thomas's death,

and, by reflecting the emotions of the audience, the chorus invites

the audience to become one with them.