Second Knight (William de Traci) Character Analysis

William de Traci, designated as the second knight, is the first of the four knights to offer an “argument” in defense of their murder of Becket. Perhaps more accurately, de Traci offers an argument in defense of the knights’ own moral integrity in order to prevent them from being perceived as villains by the audience. De Traci says that the knights had nothing to gain from Becket’s murder—they’re “not getting a penny out of this,” and the act will bring them no benefits: they’ll likely be forced to spend the remainder of their lives outside of England, exiled. De Traci ends his speech by underscoring the knights’ totally disinterested involvement in the murder. They did not want to kill Becket—they just wanted him to comply with the orders of the king.