Murder in the Cathedral: MCQs with Answers

 

 

Murder in the Cathedral

T. S. Eliot

T. S. Eliot (Thomas Stearns Eliot, 1888–1965) was one of the most influential poets and dramatists of the 20th century. Born in the United States and later settled in England, Eliot played a major role in shaping modernist literature. His works often explore themes like spiritual crisis, moral decay, and the search for meaning in a fragmented world.
His famous works include The Waste Land, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, Four Quartets, and the verse play Murder in the Cathedral. Eliot was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948.

Murder in the Cathedral (1935) is a verse drama written by T. S. Eliot. It is based on the real historical event of the martyrdom of Archbishop Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170. The play focuses on Becket’s moral and spiritual struggle as he faces pressures from King Henry II and temptations that test his faith. The work highlights themes such as conflict between church and state, martyrdom, temptation, and spiritual strength. The play is known for its poetic style, use of chorus, and deep religious and philosophical insights.

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 Here are Fifty Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) with answers based on Murder in the Cathedral

 1. Who is the author of Murder in the Cathedral?

A. W. B. Yeats
B. T. S. Eliot
C. John Webster
D. Christopher Marlowe
Answer: B

2. In which year was Murder in the Cathedral first performed?

A. 1927
B. 1935
C. 1940
D. 1955
Answer: B

3. Where was the play first performed?

A. Oxford University
B. London Playhouse
C. Canterbury Cathedral
D. Cambridge Theatre
Answer: C

4. Murder in the Cathedral is written in which form?

A. Prose drama
B. Blank verse
C. Verse drama
D. One-act play
Answer: C

5. Who is the central character of the play?

A. King Henry II
B. Thomas Becket
C. The Chorus Leader
D. The Fourth Tempter
Answer: B

6. How many tempters appear to Becket?

A. Two
B. Three
C. Four
D. Five
Answer: C

7. The Chorus in the play represents —

A. Soldiers
B. Peasants of Canterbury
C. Priests
D. Merchants
Answer: B

8. What is the central theme of the play?

A. Love and betrayal
B. Politics and war
C. Martyrdom and spiritual conflict
D. Adventure and heroism
Answer: C

9. Who tempts Becket with “temporal power and riches”?

A. First Tempter
B. Second Tempter
C. Third Tempter
D. Fourth Tempter
Answer: A

10. Who offers Becket political power against the king?

A. First Tempter
B. Second Tempter
C. Third Tempter
D. Fourth Tempter
Answer: C

11. Which Tempter tempts Becket with eternal glory through martyrdom?

A. First
B. Second
C. Third
D. Fourth
Answer: D

12. Murder in the Cathedral is divided into how many parts?

A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Four
Answer: B

13. What is Part I mainly about?

A. Knights’ confession
B. Murder of Becket
C. Becket’s temptations
D. Becket’s exile
Answer: C

14. Part II of the play opens with which event?

A. Christmas sermon
B. Knights’ arrival
C. Becket’s return
D. The Chorus lamentation
Answer: A

15. The sermon in Part II discusses —

A. Love
B. Peace
C. Martyrdom
D. Faith
Answer: C

16. How many knights murder Becket?

A. Two
B. Three
C. Four
D. Five
Answer: C

17. The Chorus expresses the feelings of —

A. Joy and celebration
B. Fear and foreboding
C. Anger and rebellion
D. Hope and strength
Answer: B

18. Becket was exiled for how many years?

A. 5
B. 6
C. 7
D. 8
Answer: C

19. Which historical king is associated with Becket?

A. King John
B. Henry II
C. Richard I
D. Edward I
Answer: B

20. Which character tries to justify the murder to the audience?

A. The Chorus
B. The Priests
C. The Knights
D. The Tempters
Answer: C

21. The Fourth Tempter’s temptation is unique because —

A. It is materialistic
B. It matches Becket’s own thoughts
C. It promises wealth
D. It offers political alliance
Answer: B

22. What kind of tragedy does the play represent?

A. Domestic tragedy
B. Historical tragedy
C. Revenge tragedy
D. Romantic tragedy
Answer: B

23. The setting of the entire play is —

A. London
B. Canterbury Cathedral
C. Becket’s palace
D. Oxford
Answer: B

24. Who says, “The last temptation is the greatest treason”?

A. First Priest
B. Becket
C. Fourth Tempter
D. Knight
Answer: B

25. The Knights murder Becket because —

A. They want his wealth
B. The King wants him dead
C. He refuses to cooperate with the King
D. He tried to flee
Answer: C

26. The Priests try to —

A. Expel Becket
B. Protect Becket
C. Support the Knights
D. Join the King
Answer: B

27. What is the Chorus’s reaction after Becket’s murder?

A. Happiness
B. Relief
C. Guilt and horror
D. Anger
Answer: C

28. The play combines religion with —

A. Romance
B. Philosophy
C. Politics
D. Myth
Answer: C

29. Eliot uses the Chorus similar to —

A. Shakespeare
B. Greek tragedy
C. Farce drama
D. Modern comedy
Answer: B

30. The Priests symbolize —

A. Common people
B. Political thinkers
C. The Church’s support
D. Becket’s enemies
Answer: C

31. The main conflict in the play is between —

A. Love and hatred
B. Church and state
C. Rich and poor
D. King and Queen
Answer: B

32. The knights justify the murder as —

A. A patriotic act
B. A political necessity
C. A religious duty
D. An accident
Answer: B

33. What does Eliot attempt through the sermon?

A. To entertain readers
B. To explain the meaning of martyrdom
C. To mock religion
D. To praise Becket
Answer: B

34. The tone of the Chorus at the beginning is —

A. Cheerful
B. Fearful
C. Humorous
D. Indifferent
Answer: B

35. In the end, the Chorus prays for —

A. Wealth
B. Peace
C. Revenge
D. Power
Answer: B

36. What genre best describes the play?

A. Pastoral
B. Modern verse drama
C. Epic
D. Melodrama
Answer: B

37. What do the Tempters symbolise?

A. Becket’s friends
B. Becket’s inner doubts
C. Political parties
D. The King
Answer: B

38. What is Becket’s final decision?

A. To flee
B. To surrender to the Knights
C. To accept martyrdom
D. To negotiate with the King
Answer: C

39. Who says, “Human kind cannot bear very much reality”?

A. Thomas Becket
B. The Chorus
C. The Priests
D. A Knight
Answer: B

40. The murder occurs —

A. In the cloister
B. At the altar
C. Outside the Cathedral
D. In Becket’s chamber
Answer: B

41. Eliot’s play blends —

A. Fantasy and comedy
B. Poetry and drama
C. Fiction and biography
D. War and peace
Answer: B

42. The Chorus compares life to —

A. A battlefield
B. A journey
C. A sea storm
D. A desert
Answer: C

43. How does Becket view martyrdom?

A. As political fame
B. As a divine calling
C. As revenge
D. As escape
Answer: B

44. The play ends with —

A. Becket’s funeral
B. A celebration
C. The Priests praising God
D. The Knights fleeing
Answer: C

45.  The play is based on events from —

A. Greek mythology
B. Medieval English history
C. Renaissance Italy
D. Roman Empire
Answer: B

46 “Murder in the Cathedral” was written by T.S. Eliot for which event?

A. To celebrate the end of World War I
B. For performance at Canterbury Cathedral
C. To commemorate Thomas Becket’s birth anniversary
D. For a school drama competition
Answer: B.

47. The play deals with the conflict between:

A. Science and religion
B. King Henry II and Archbishop Thomas Becket
C. Christianity and Islam
D. The Church and the Pope
Answer: B.

48. The Tempters in the play resemble characters from which literary tradition?

A. Classical epic tradition
B. Mystery and morality plays
C. Romantic poetry
D. Greek tragedy
Answer: B

49. Thomas Becket’s central struggle in the play is:

A. Whether to support the Pope
B. Whether to raise an army
C. Whether to accept martyrdom selflessly
D. How to save the cathedral
Answer: C. Whether to accept martyrdom selflessly

50. The play ends with:

A. Becket escaping England
B. Henry II reconciling with Becket
C. The Chorus celebrating victory
D. The Knights justifying the murder to the audience
Answer: D

 

 

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