Everyman

1. Morality plays Mystery, Miracle, and Morality Plays Medieval England ~600-1500 Jan Feb Mar Abr May Jun Jul < Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec >

2. What is Morality Play? A morality play is an allegorical play popular especially in the 15th and 16th centuries in which the characters personify abstract qualities or concepts (as virtues, vices, or death) Only five medieval English morality plays still survive: • The Pride of Life (a corrupted Anglo-Irish text) • The Castle of Perseverance • Wisdom • Mankind • Everyman (translated from a Dutch original.) These are all that are left of an influential dramatic genre. The understanding of style has been developed based upon the influence these plays had on surviving literature and art. Jan Feb Mar Abr May Jun Jul < Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec >

3. Background

4. The Dark Ages • Rome falls around 600 AD • This period is known as The Dark Ages • “Medius Aevum” • During this time, there was no relieble political structure and the church started to exert its influence • The church became the only stable form of government

5. The church objected drama because of: • Its innapropriateness • Actors pretending to be other people (“lying”) • The promotion of transexuality (men dressing up as women) • The suggestions made to overthrow the government if you do not like it • Not much is known about drama between 600-1000 AD

6. Medieval Drama Emerges • During the years of 925-975 AD, drama re-emerged in the church service • Tropes: easy-to-understand dramatic reenactments of the liturgy and popular Bible stories • QuemQuaeritisis one of the earliest recored tropes performed at Easter in the 10th century • Dialog with Mary and angels at Christ’s tomb

7. Liturgical Drama • This type of drama arose around the 12th century • Represented aspects of the life of Christ • There were two areas that these types of drama were performed at: • Mansions: small scenic locations for indicating actors • Plateas: general acting areas next to the mansions

8. 01 What was their purpose? Jan Feb Mar Abr May Jun Jul < Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec >

9. An attempt to educate via entertainment • Dominican and Franciscan monks developed the morality play in the 13th century by adding actors and theatrical elements to their sermons. • They hoped the (mainly illiterate) masses could more easily learn the basics of Christianity through dramatic spoken word. • The plays made complex topics such as original sin and atonement more easily understood. • By personifying Vices, Virtues, the Devil and the Good Angel, stories of temptation were made accessible to those who were unable to read.

10. Popularity grows • These plays were being performed in the vernacular (everyday language) instead of Latin by the year 1350 • As popularity grew, Medieval drama moved from small indoor acting areas to outdoors • Because of an expanding need for a larger area to hold more people • However, as popularity grew, the church began to lose control

11. Loss of control • The church lost control of the drama • Parts played by religious clerics and alter boys were now being performed by community members • Trained performers now began to emerge into these dramatic performances

12. The main theme of the morality play! Jan Feb Mar Abr May Jun Jul < Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec >

13. The main theme of the morality play is this: • 1.Man begins in innocence • 2.Man falls into temptation • 3.Man repents and is saved. The central action is the struggle of Man against the seven deadly sins that are personified into real characters. The allegorical application of theatre to Christianity was intended to help the audience understand sin and virtue Morality Plays

14. The ‘M’ plays • There were three types of plays that emerged during this time period, and they all began with the letter M: • Miracle Plays • Mystery Plays • Morality Plays

15. Mystery Plays • Mystery Plays were stories based on the new testament • Communities often produced Mystery Cycles • Festival days where the were numerous decorated carts on which plays were being performed • Could take days to get through watching the whole cycle

16. Miracle Plays • Miracle Plays were stories from the scriptures of the life of a saint • Also known as “Saint’s Plays” • Particularly the life of Saint Nicholas and Saint Mary • Drama started to focus on the life of an ordinary person and not biblical characters

17. Morality plays • Morality Plays did not deal with biblical stories but with personal views and morals • These plays untilized a moral lesson to members of the audience • These plays were dramatized allegories of the life of man • Man trying to get to Heaven • The general theme of a Morality Play is the conflict between good and evil for the soul • These plays always ended with the saving of the soul • Everyman was, and still is, one of the most known Morality Plays

18. Seven Deadly Sins • Pride - I am so awesome, no one’s better than me. • Envy – I want what they have. • Lust – wanting someone physically. • Greed – wanting material things. • Anger –being negative or furious at unnecessary things. • Sloth - laziness • Gluttony – consume more than that which one requires

19. Seven Heavenly Virtues • Humility - modesty • Kindness – being nice to others • Chastity- Purity • Charity – Generosity • Patience – believing that if you do good things, good things will happen. • Diligence – Hard working • Temperance – abstain, get what is needed not what you desire.

20. Everyman • Everyman was written at the end of the 15th century • The play is anonymous • There are four surviving versions of the play, but two of them are only exist in fragments • The play contains seven scenes

21. Background information • Everyman is very different from of Morality Plays in that it does not contain any humor • It is also short: only 900 lines long • All characters in the play are abstractions (not individualized but represent all people) • Usually the main character of a Morality Play would be “Everyman” or “Mankind”

22. Everyman Summary • Scene 1: • Everyman is told by Death that he has to die and make a pilgrimage to the afterlife • Everyman starts to go through a grief cycle, exactly following a theory proposed by Kubler-Ross in her book, On Death and Dying

23. Grief Cycle • Denial: Everyman says he feels fine and is not ready to go to the afterlife • Anger: Everyman becomes enraged asks why this is happening to him • Bargaining: Everyman starts to bargain with Death and ask him if he can have more time • Depression: Everyman begins to understand the inevitability and starts to “fear pains huge and great” • Acceptance: Everyman accepts the fact that he has to make a pilgrimage and begins to prepare

25. Scene 2: • Everyman asks his friends to go with him • Fellowship: he says no • He says he will gladly go drink with Everyman and have fun, but not to die • Scene 3: • Everyman asks his family to go with him • Kindred and Cousin: they say no • Cousin has a cramp in his toe

27. Scene 4: • Everyman goes to his money and wealth • Goods: says no • Goods has to stay; he is a temporary aspect of the world • Scene 5: • Everyman goes to his good deeds • Good-Deeds: says no • Sick because Everyman has never done any good deeds

28. Scene 6: • Everyman learns about the doctrine of the church to try and revitalize his good deeds • Scene 7: • Everyman’s soul is saved and he ascends into Heaven

29. Medieval Drama Declines • The Medieval Drama began to become less popular • This decline was due to changing political and economic factors • The Protestant Reformation started to target drama in an effort to stamp out the allegiance to Rome

30. Another aspect of the death of Medieval Drama was the creation and building of permanent theaters • These permanent theater allowed for more sophisticated story-telling and staging • Medieval Drama cycles and touring groups lost popularity because of this

31. Thank you for your attention. Jan Feb Mar Abr May Jun Jul < Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec >