Studentsofarecentcontroversywillobservethat，followingFreeman，heretainsthefamouspalisade，sogrievouslybatteredbytheaxe-strokesofMrHoraceRound。Haroldisapiecemorecompressed，andmuchmoreinaccordancewiththetraditionsofthedrama，thanQueenMary。Thetopicistragicindeed:thesorrowbeingthatofagreatman，agreatking，thebulwarkofapeoplethatfellwithhisfall。Moreover，asthetopicistreated，theplayisrichintheironyusuallyassociatedwiththenameofSophocles。
Victorycomesbeforeafall。Harold，likeAntigone，istornbetweentwoduties——hisoathandtheclaimsofhiscountry。HisruincomesfromwhatAristotlewouldcallhis[Greektextwhichcannotbereproduced]，hisfaultinswearingtheoathtoWilliam。Theherohimself；reckinglittle，afterasuperstitiousmoment，oftheconcealedrelicsoverwhichheswore，deemshisoffencetolieinswearingavowwhichhenevermeanttokeep。Thepersuasionswhichurgehimtothiscourseareadmirablypresented:England，Edith，hisbrother\'sfreedom，wereatstake。Casuistry，orevenlaw，wouldhaveabsolvedhimeasily；anoathtakenunderduresseisofnoavail。ButHarold\'s\"honourrootedindishonourstood，\"andhecannotsoreadilyabsolvehimself。BruceandthebishopswhostoodbyBrucehadnosuchscruples:theyperjuredthemselvesoften，onthemostsacredrelics，especiallythebishops。ButHaroldrisesabovethemediaevalandmagicalconceptionoftheoath，andgoestohisdoomconsciousofastainonhishonour，ofwhichonlyadeeperstain，thatoffalsenesstohiscountry，couldmakehimclean。Thisisatrulytragicstrokeofdestiny。Thehero\'scharacterisadmirablynoble，patient，andsimple。TheConfessoralsoisastrueinartastohistory，andhisvisionofthefallandriseofEnglandisanoblepassage。InAldwythwehavesomethingofVivien，withagrainofconscience，andthepartofEdithSwan\'s-neckhasarestrainedandclassicpathosincontrastwiththemelancholyofWulfnoth。Thepiece，asthepoetsaid，isa\"tragedyofdoom，\"ofdeepeninganddarkeningomens，asintheOdysseyandNjal\'sSaga。Thebattlescene，withthechorusesofthemonks，makesanobleclose。
FitzGeraldremainedloyal，butitwasto\"afairyPrincewhocamefromotherskiesthantheserainyones，\"and\"thewretchedcritics，\"
asG。H。Lewescalledthem，seemtohavebeenunfriendly。Infactbesidestheinnatewretchednessofallcritics，theygrudgedthetimeandlabourgiventothedrama，inanundramaticage。HaroldhadnotwhatFitzGeraldcalled\"theoldchampagneflavour\"ofthevintageof1842。
Becketwasbegunin1876，printedin1879，andpublishedin1884。