The English Mystery Plays
The English Mystery Plays

Author: Rosemary Woolf

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 1980-01-01

Total Pages: 452

ISBN-13: 9780520040816

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This important new study of the English mystery plays has a twofold purpose. It is concerned to investigate the antecedents of the four extant cycles and to demonstrate the dramatic value of the plays themselves The opening and concluding chapters place the plays in their historical context by discussing on the one hand the emergence and achievements of genuine religious drama (as opposed to liturgical drama) in the twelfth century and on the other the changes in taste that threw the plays into disrepute in the sixteenth century. The man part of the book analyzes the plays in detail, considering the iconographic and theological traditions that guided the dramatists in their treatment of biblical subject-matter, and also looking at the Continental drama of the time to find out what other dramatic possibilities were open to writers in the Middle Ages. -- From publisher's description.

York Mystery Plays
York Mystery Plays

Author: Richard Beadle

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 1999-06-17

Total Pages: 569

ISBN-13: 0191611239

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This volume offers 22 of the central pageants which make up York's famous Corpus Christi cycle. The York cycle is the oldest and best-known of the English mystery cycles, and its depth and scope are reflected in the selection printed here. The shape of the cycle was governed by subject matter of enduring spiritual significance, both to its contemporary audience and in later literary and artistic tradition, and the selection reflects these concerns. Included are plays on the Creation, the Fall of Man, the Incarnation, Passion, and Resurrection of Christ, and the Last Judgement. The Passion sequence has been expanded by six of the eight plays generally attributed to the great poetic dramatist known as the York Realist: the authentic text of these plays is not otherwise available in paperback. As well as providing detailed annotation, this edition offers an introduction which examines the history of the cycle and discusses the immensely popular modern productions in York and elsewhere. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Mediaeval English Mystery Plays, Rituals, and Archetypes
Mediaeval English Mystery Plays, Rituals, and Archetypes

Author: Albin Wallace

Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Published: 2024-04-10

Total Pages: 165

ISBN-13: 1036403734

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This book examines the mediaeval English mystery play, the importance of ritual and archetypes, and how masonic traditions may have been influenced by these mediaeval dramas. Similarly to mystery plays, elements of masonic ceremonial use symbolic characters, archetypes, stories, and rituals to convey moral and spiritual teachings to its members. The rituals are steeped in symbolism and draw on a wide range of historical and cultural sources. Masonic rituals and mediaeval plays both emphasise community and fellowship. This book attempts to highlight the enduring power of symbolic performance, archetypes and the importance of belonging and fellowship in the pursuit of moral and spiritual improvement. The connection between ritual and mediaeval mystery plays is a tantalising subject of much debate, as Freemasonry is a fraternity claimed to have its roots in the mediaeval stonemasons’ guilds, whose members certainly participated in the mystery plays, especially those that depicted biblical stories relating to the building of King Solomon’s temple.

Morality Play
Morality Play

Author: Barry Unsworth

Publisher: Anchor

Published: 2017-08-29

Total Pages: 210

ISBN-13: 0525434097

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A New York Times Notable Book In medieval England, a runaway scholar-priest named Nicholas Barber has joined a traveling theater troupe as they make their way toward their liege lord’s castle. In need of money, they decide to perform at a village en route. When their traditional morality plays fail to garner them an audience, they begin to stage the “the play of Thomas Wells”—their own depiction of the real-life drama unfolding within the village around the murder of a young boy. The villagers believe they have already identified the killer, and the troupe believes their play will be a straightforward depiction of justice served. But soon the players soon learn that the details of the crime are elusive, and the lines between performance and reality become blurred as they discover, scene by scene, line by line, what really happened. Thought-provoking and unforgettable, Morality Play is at once a masterful work of historical fiction, a gripping murder mystery, and a literary work of the first order.

English Mystery Plays
English Mystery Plays

Author: Peter Happe

Publisher: Penguin UK

Published: 1975-11-27

Total Pages: 809

ISBN-13: 0141921935

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Humour, pathos and suffering, and the culminating drama of the Crucifixion and Resurrection, give these plays a wonderful immediacy. Their action was conceived on a cosmic scale and all the enthusiasm and vitality of their writing is retained to this day. The energies of whole communities, notably at Chester, York and Wakefield, were devoted to their production and they were to influence later dramatists significantly. The grand design of the mystery plays was to celebrate the Christian story from 'The Fall of Lucifer' to the 'Judgement Day', and this volume contains thirty-eight plays, forming in itself a composite cycle and including almost all the incidents common to the extant cycles.