Mystery, Miracle, and Morality Plays Medieval England ~600-1500
Feb 23, 2016
Mystery, Miracle, and Morality
PlaysMedieval England ~600-1500
Historical Background ~800-
1200 After the fall of Rome, many historical and cultural artifacts disappeared; drama being one of them
The Roman Catholic Church became the governing force
Drama was never officially approved by the church, but drama’s rebirth occurs in the church
Historical Background ~800-
1200 The Catholic Church is responsible for the rebirth of the theatre
The Church needed a way to educate illiterate parishioners
Early Medieval Drama
Earliest Medieval Dramao Tropeso Liturgical Drama
Dramatic Scenes were not added for centuries
Religious Rituals
Trope – a small theatrical embellishment added to the silent part of mass
these are used to “explain” the Latin text that the parishioners would not have been able to understand
tropes are performed inside the church, at the altar, by the monks
The “Quem Quaeritis”
Introduced around 900 New form of Liturgical Drama “Whom do you seek?” Delivered during an Easter Mass Composed of a question, an
answer, and a command between the angels at Christ’s Tomb and the “Three Marys”
o Question [by the Angels]: Whom do ye seek in the sepulcher, O followers of Christ?
o Answer [by the Marys]: Jesus of Nazareth, the Crucified, O heavenly ones.
o The Angels: He is not here; he is risen, just as he foretold. Go, announce that he is risen from the sepulcher.
As the tropes gain in popularity, performances move from the altar to mansion stages throughout the church.•Stories are presented in pieces with dialogue, costumes, etc.•Monks, choir & other church officials play the parts•Audience moves from stage to stage, as the stories are presented sequentially
Medieval performance spaces:
1. Altar2. Mansion stages in the
nave3. On the church steps or
in the churchyard (depending on the size)
4. Pageant wagons in churchyard or the town marketplace
5. Pageant wagons that traveled from city to city
1.Aimed to teach or reinforce Church doctrine (church laws).
2. Good rewarded; evil punished
3. God and his plan were the driving forces, not the characters.
The Main Points
Staging the Plays Mansions - small scenic structures for indicating location. In
more complex plays, there were many mansions. Platea – open acting space, adjacent to the mansion.
The church structure usually served as the mansions (the choir loft, for instance, could serve as heaven; the altar might be the tomb of Christ).
Machinery was also used: to fly Christ up to heaven, have angels come down, etc.
Costumes were ordinary church vestments or typical fashion of the times.
Staging the Plays STATIONARY
o Mansions or a series of stages would be set up around the town square
o Anchored at either end by Heaven and Hello Elaborate special effects such as floods, flying and
fiery pits were very popular PROCESSIONAL
o Pageant wagons would• travel a set route and perform at several locations: like a parade or • would be set up around a town square and the audience would
travel from one wagon to the next to see the performances
Staging Central Platform Drama was “cycled” Stations of the Cross Neutral Stage… “Platea” Doorways at the back of the Pageant…
“Mansions”o Walking out of specific mansion onto neutral stage,makes the neutral stage the specific mansion.
Pageant Wagons
Stationary Staging
Pageant Wagons as Stages
Processional Staging Used in England and Spain Find a place on the parade route to watch the plays in
sequence. Wagons would stop from time to time to perform the play. You could pay for the best seats, or places inside of homes
lining the street. The term "pageant" is used to refer to the stage, the play
itself, and the spectacle. Platform on wheels Pulled by men Small enough to fit down narrow streets May have had second platform, pulled behind
Simple Pageant Wagons
Simple Pageant Wagons
Spectacle Flying – ability to fly actors over the stage playing
Christ, Angels, monsters. Trap Doors – used in floors to allow actors to
disappear below Fire – Used to show hell, often times to dire
consequences for the actors. Costumes – Symbolic using the dress of the era.
Religious garments; masks rare – for devils. Scenery
The “Hell-Mouth”
The HELL MOUTH… a large machine that took up to 17 men to operate & looked like the mouth of a big fish that belched smoke & small explosions – devils would stuff their victims into the “mouth” – is was the mouth of Hell
Religious Vernacular
Drama Vernacular: language spoken by the people To reach the commoners, the clergy began to
translate the liturgical plays into vernacular languages
Plays were set outdoors where space permitted As more roles were added, commoners were
used as amateur actors
The Miracle Play Earliest examples of
drama do not exist due to their ban by King Henry VIII
First documented group were called Miracle Plays (~10th Century)
They usually dealt with reenactments of the Saint’s or other important religious figures’ lives (Noah’s Flood)
The Mystery Play Mystery and Miracle
Plays developed out of earlier Liturgical Dramas
Dealt with Scriptural or Biblical Events in cycles
Pageant Wagons Noah’s Flood, Life,
Death, and Resurrection of Christ, Creationism, etc
The Morality Play The Morality Play
developed around the 12th Century
Relied more upon Allegorical connections rather than strictly Biblical reenactment
Morality Plays sought to put characters amongst the temptations of existence (the afterlife) and force them to contemplate the salvation
The Morality Play Purpose:
o Make Christianity more real to the audience by dramatizing the meaning of religion in terms of everyday human experience
o Abstract moral conflict, turned into drama in the real world.
• Good versus evil… • A constant battle going on in the soul of every person
o The setting of a morality play is usually the soul, and the actors are personified versions of qualities in everyman.
o The Soul is turned inside out.
The Morality Play Allegorical Characters:
o Not real peopleo They are abstract qualitieso Aptronymo Main character represents all of humanity
Supernatural Beings:o God, Angels, Devilo Powers outside of the soul, but interested in the
outcome Vice:
o Leader of the forces of evilo Tendency towards Sino Tries to get the main character into troubleo Sharp sense of humor- attractive to the audience, very
charmingo Climax is when he is overthrown
Characteristics Allegorical Characters Actions both literal
and symbolic Psychomachia Clearly stated moral Takes on poetic form Aptronyms Professional Actors The “Journey” Focus on Free Will Saints to Commoners
Development of Drama
The Nature of the Hero (blank slate)
Fall and Redemption Comic Relief (farce) Staging (or lack thereof) Debate (Stichomythia) The nature of sin Focus on the character Bridge from religious to
secular Direct link to
Shakespeare
EVERYMAN ~ Anonymous (1485)
Major Themes Inevitability of death and
the need for one to secure salvation before dying
Inconstancy of the transitory and worldly contrasted to the constancy of virtue,
Reaching outward for virtue in others then to self
Salvation as a “reckoning” Life as a challenging
journey or pilgrimage in order to arrive at salvation
Didactism
Seven…….Seven Heavenly Virtues Chastity Temperance Charity Diligence Patience Kindness Humility
Seven Deadly Sins Lust Gluttony Greed Sloth Wrath Envy Pride