Thomas BecketThomas Becket was during his life a man of honor and dishonor. His decisions, principles, and character made some aspects of his life honorable and others dishonorable. However, it is also extremely important to understand who Becket was paying homage to. The three most important people he would honor during his life were himself, King Henry II and God. Several times during his life, Becket acted without honor. For example, when King Henry separated Church and State by making his power greater than that of the Church, Becket became his right-hand man by becoming Chancellor of England. While Henry's moves were political and economic, Becket's decision to join the king was based solely on allegiance and loyalty to the king. Becket did not consider the consequences of a split, nor did he question or challenge the king's moralistic motives. Becket also showed great dishonor to God and the king when he wore both the chancellor's and archbishop's ring. He could not honor both, since the king's program did not correspond to God's will. He therefore had a false honor towards both. Ultimately, Becket made the choice to serve the honor of God above the king. Becket was also a man of great honor. He showed respect to his king by being loyal and keeping his word when he had to abandon the woman he loved to the king. At that time, he also honored himself by showing integrity and principle on emotional values. While chancellor, he served faithfully understanding his duty to the king and his code of honor. The only thing that proved Becket to be a true man of honor was when he humbled himself before the cross and before God and swore his loyalty to the one and only true leader. After this point, Becket no longer acts to serve the king's honor, but that of God because he realizes that it is fairer and more rewarding. Through this decision, he chose how he would live for the rest of his life. He accepted his obligations as Archbishop of Canterbury and understood that he would inevitably be forced to oppose the king. He sacrificed his own life defending God's kingdom and boldly chose to pursue God's will. This occurs when he repudiates the king's order to reverse his excommunication decision..