Rationalizing

The play Murder in the Cathedral illustrates how one can rationalize their way through ha number of choices. Archbishop Thomas Becket is in conflict with the king. Upon his return to London, he is faced with four tempters, who offer him different choices for his future. After each tempter has made his imploration, Thomas rejects his offer. In doing so, the Archbishop rationalizes his choice.

The rationalizations indicate that perhaps the Archbishop has already made his mind, that none of the options are the one he intends to choose. He ultimately is killed, even though he did not go with the fourth tempter is becoming a martyr. He ends up as a martyr nevertheless, and perhaps he knew that this would happen. The rationalization of this choice is that such an act would be sinful. Thus, even if he ultimately becomes a martyr, he cannot actively choose such a fate for himself under the eyes of God. Yet when faced with the knights Thomas is ready to be a martyr. This is at odds with his previous rationalization, but the circumstances are different. He is faced with death, and his talk of martyrdom at this point is a threat to the knights.

Rationalizing can be done to justify any action. The knights, too, rationalize their actions on behalf of the king. Each actor feels that the circumstances fully justify their actions at each time and place. The question of right vs. wrong is not one that can be answered with rationalizations, as the conflicting rationalizations of the actors in this play demonstrate. Rationalizing demonstrates that ethics and morals are not absolute; they are in the eye of the beholder. The worth of one's actions are not measured by one's ability to justify those actions to others -- rationalizing is an empty activity that neither adds nor removes moral and ethical value from your deeds and speech.