- From Roman Spectacle to Miracle, Morality and Mystery Plays
Roman Times - Early Church Fathers tried to suppress spectacles of later Roman empire
- Christian emperors banned public acting
- Cessation of drama in western Europe until 10th century CE
- drama revived within the liturgy of 10C Christian Church
- “dramatic” elements in the services
- from ritual to drama
- the Easter Quem quaeritis trope illustrates bible story
- Easter, Christmas and Innocents’ Day drama
- “non-liturgical” dramatizations of other stories from the Bible, e.g. Temptation of Adam and Eve, Daniel in the Lions’ Den, Raising of Lazarus
- significant embellishment of Biblical text
- sophisticated creations of learned men; works of wisdom and piety, not designed to educate laity
- began to be staged outside the church
- Miracle Play = saint’s play
- popular from 12th century CE
- dramatization of life, martyrdom or miracles of a saint
- emphasis on lurid adventure and miraculous happenings fantastic stories, highly sensational
- free of Biblical constraints that characterized most church drama, but combined tale of adventure with act of worship often performed in church on the saint’s (feast) day
- new genre for theatre in early 14th century
- dramatization of spiritual crisis in the life of a representative individual Christian
- allegorical method of presentation - personified abstractions representing good and evil [Death shown as a person for ex]
- designed to instruct the faithful in correct behavior
- a formative influence on Renaissance drama
EVERYMAN - Themes: Way to Salvation, Death, Worldly Encumbrances, The Sacraments, Priesthood, Power of the Church, Grace & Works.
- Symbols: Characters (Everyman et. al.), Book of Reckoning, The Journey, The Scourge, The Hole
- Passages: Death Arrives, EM appeals to Goods, Good Deeds is bound, Confession & Penance, Digression on Priests, EM enters the grave.
- Structure: Allegory, Morality Play.
- Context: Sacramental System, Rise of Merchants,
Mystery Plays - 14C - 16C in northern England (200 years)
- drawn from books of the Bible; portrays divine history of the world
- very long, up to 16 hours
- divided into episodes, or pageants
- staged outdoors
- in the vernacular (Middle English), not in Latin
- whole community was involved (church/town)
- notable for scope, scale
-
How were Mystery Plays Staged? - pageant wagons drawn in a procession through the town
- individual fixed scaffolds
- acting in the round (arena theatre)
- methods of production may have varied
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