In Cranmer's case, his character, his life, his recantation in order to escape the stake, exclude the possibility of pride as a motive. The dramatic problem he presents is different. Had Becket died in his bed, he would now be remembered only by professional historians. Had Cranmer done the same, he would still be famous as the principal author of the Book of Common Prayer. He was, that is to say, both a man of action and an artist, a maker. A dramatist who takes him for his hero, cannot ignore his making, for it is an essential aspect of his life and character, but it is impossible to represent convincingly a man on the stage writing a book because of the time it takes. Williams shows Cranmer the maker, by indirect illustration; from time to time, he halts the action to let a choir sing appropriate passages from the Book of Common Prayer. This works for persons like myself who have been familiar with the words from childhood and know their source, but I fear that those who are less intimate with them may be irritated and feel that the choir is only there because this is a 'chirchy' play.
W. H. Auden, The Martyr as Dramatic Hero
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