# Who Will Be the New Bishop? explained — Barchester Towers

> Chapter companion for Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope.

## What happens

The chapter opens with the death of old Bishop Grantly and the ensuing question of who will succeed him. Archdeacon Grantly, his son, had been led to believe he would inherit the bishopric, but the political landscape shifts as the ministry falls. The archdeacon's hopes are dashed when he learns the government has changed, and Dr. Proudie is ultimately consecrated as the new Bishop of Barchester.

## Themes in this chapter

### Ecclesiastical Power and Politics

The chapter centers on the political maneuvering and ambition surrounding the appointment of a new bishop, highlighting the intersection of church and state.

### Personal Integrity vs. Ambition

Archdeacon Grantly's worldly ambition for the bishopric is contrasted with his father's meek and peaceful death, raising questions about clerical motives.

## Character check-ins

### Archdeacon Grantly

The son of the deceased bishop, he had hoped to succeed his father but is thwarted by the change in government.

### Mr. Harding

The precentor and father-in-law of the archdeacon, he is present at the bishop's death and is sent to telegraph the news.

### Dr. Proudie

Mentioned as the one who is consecrated Bishop of Barchester, ending the archdeacon's hopes.

### Dr. Gwynne

Master of Lazarus College and the archdeacon's intimate friend, who had encouraged his hopes of the bishopric.

## Key lines

> Our archdeacon was worldly⁠—who among us is not so? He was ambitious⁠—who among us is ashamed to own that 'last infirmity of noble minds!'

The narrator defends the archdeacon's worldly ambition as a common human trait, not a sin in a clergyman.

_This passage justifies clerical ambition by comparing it to secular aspirations in law, diplomacy, or literature._

> The archdeacon's mind, however, had already travelled from the death chamber to the closet of the prime minister.

Even as his father lay dead, the archdeacon's thoughts turned immediately to political advantage.

_Highlights the tension between filial duty and personal ambition._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/barchester_towers_se/chapters/i-who-will-be-the-new-bishop
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/barchester_towers_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/barchester_towers_se/chapters