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