Medieval Drama

1. Medieval Drama Europe 476-1500 AD

2. Overview History Role of the Church Miracle Plays Mystery Plays Morality Plays The Medieval Stage The Actors

3. Rome didn’t fall in a day… The fall of the Roman Empire begins the Medieval period in European history “The Dark Ages” refers to the time period between the Roman collapse and the beginning of the crusades in 1095. The medieval period continues until 1500. Refers to a time in which historians lack knowledge about centralized powers, patterns of behavior, and standards in art Theatre practically disappears with Rome

4. Roman Catholic Church Massive power and influence Age of cathedral building and religious painting Church considered drama a “godless activity” that distracted worshippers from piousness Ironically, Western theatre is reborn in the heart of monasteries and soon grows beyond the walls of monks

5. Why does drama resurface? Possible explanations include… Dramatization of Message Appease Public Demand Drama provides a method of active storytelling for this narrative-based religion Most people are illiterate and need visuals to properly understand the church’s message of Christ Illumination Based on past experiences (and the fact that it’s just awesome), people still crave drama as a form of entertainment and social expression Turning its back on the object of people’s cravings may alienate the church and turn away potential Christians

6. Liturgical Drama • Liturgy- Church services delivered for a congregation. This is where the term “liturgical” derives, drama conducted as part of the liturgy. • Tropes- “Embellishments” included in the liturgy to emphasize parts of the message • Typically sung by monks • Similar to the Greek chorus as they served to highlight important parts of the service • QuemQuaeritisis the earliest known example of a performed trope. It was first performed by four monks in ninth century Switzerland as part of the Easter Mass.

7. QuemQuaeritis:“Whom seek ye?” Angel: Whom seek ye in the sepulchre, O ye Christians? Three Marys: Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, O ye Angels. Angel: He is not here; he has risen as he has foretold. Go, announce that he is risen from the sepulchre.

8. The Growth of Tropes Nuns and choirboys join monks in performance Practice spreads from church to church across Europe Thus far, always integrated into Mass and never stand-alone Tropes are developed to dramatize other parts of Christ’s life and moments in the Mass Performers in tropes are not thought of as actors but simply as men and women of God contributing to worship

9. Hrotsvitha Tenth century nun who was well read in the drama of a comedic Latin playwright, Terence. She imitated his style in her own holy tropes. She referred to herself as “the strong voice of Gandersheim,” and that she had “not hesitated to imitate in my writings a poet whose works are so widely read, my object being to glorify, within the limits of my poor talent, the laudable chastity of Christian virgins.” In other words, she copied Terence’s style but kept it “clean.” She wrote short moral tales, exploring the lives of Christian martyred women. As far as history knows, her plays were not seen outside the convent, but the fact that she recognized greatness in non-Catholic drama and imitated that style herself is of note.

10. With Hrotsvitha’s foray into non-liturgical drama, plays began to be staged outside of the church, specifically on its steps. Plays could be much more elaborate, involving considerable plot substance and action when no longer confined to the Mass The twelfth century Anglo-Saxon drama, Adam, is one example. This drama contains specific stage direction, detailed costumes, and extensive dialogue for Adam, Eve, God, the Devil, and a host of demonic assistants. The Temptation of Adam by Michelangelo

11. Religious Festivals Drama soon became prevalent at religious festivals, revolving around holy calendar days. In 1264, Pope Urban IV added the feast of Corpus Christi to the religious calendar, which celebrates the sacrament of Communion. A major part of the Corpus Christi celebration included a procession and dramatic pageant dedicated to the Eucharist, the body of Christ. Entire communities participate in the festival.

12. Medieval Drama Styles Miracle Plays Mystery Plays & Morality Plays

13. Miracle Plays Performed in awe of the miracles of saints Virgin Mary & St. Nicholas: both saints were portrayed as saving unsavory sinners who truly wished to be saved Originally part of Corpus Christi entertainments that evolved into use outside of the festival English King Henry VIII, who began the Protestant church, banned miracle plays in the sixteenth century because saints are so central to Catholicism. Thus, very few have been preserved to today.

14. Craft Guilds These groups of craftsmen, like carpenters, masons, and wool merchants, began competing with each other to produce Corpus Christi plays. Guild plays portrayed periods of the life of Christ, sometimes inventing new material to fill in holes of his life where the Bible provides no details. These plays satisfied Christian curiousity about the details of Jesus’s life omitted from the holy text, even if they were not necessarily true.

15. Mystery Plays The craft guilds unintentionally invented mystery plays, dramas which portrayed Christ’s life and death and other Biblical stories “Mystery” in this time referred to two things: skills or trades known only to a few talented craftsmen and religious mysteries. The guilds used this pun to their advantage and coined “mystery plays” that were written about mysteries and by mysteries.

16. Cycles Groupings of mystery plays, totaling 24-48 Known by the town names where they were performed during Corpus Christi and other annual holidays May be short or sweet or may resemble the length and complexity of modern plays Usually mobile on guild built stage-carts, like a parade of plays

17. Craft Guilds Revisited Shipwright’s Guild Water-Drawer’s Guild Focused on stories that included ships or boats such as Peter stepping off the fishing boat to attempt walking on water with Christ The Building of the Ark Focused on water-themed stories such as the great flood and Jesus’s experience with the woman at the well in Samaria Noah’s Flood

18. The Second Shepherd’s Pageant Blends humor and Worship A crafty shepherd named Mak steals a lamb and his wife places it in a cradle and pretends it’s a baby. When the other shepherds find out, they bounce Mak on a blanket. As they harass him, they see the Star of Bethlehem and join the Magi’s travels to pay homage to the Christ Child, the Lamb of God.

19. Coexistence of the Sacred and Profane Sacred Profane Birth of Christ Ability for sinners to revere the Christ Child Wickedness of Mak Horseplay of vengeful shepherds who harass him

20. Into the World… Change in religious drama due to moving into the community and out of the church building More real to common people. Still focused on the life of Jesus, but from a more approachable perspective No longer written in liturgical Latin, but now in common vernacular (local) language Allows for jokes and blended subject matter with light-hearted presentation

21. Morality Plays Fourteen & fifteenth centuries Not part of a cycle; independent, stand-alone dramas Not (directly) about the Bible! Gasp! Portray the Christian trials of people facing temptation in the real world A warning to the unwary that their souls are always in peril and that the devil is on constant watch for mistakes. You must behave properly if you are to be saved.

22. Allegory • Allegory-the technique of giving abstract ideas or values a physical representation. • The value of goodness becomes a flesh and blood character, for example • In modern society, the value of justice is allegorically represented as a blindfolded woman. Justice should be impartial and so should not “see” any distinctions such as rank or wealth. • Allowed medieval dramatists to personify abstract concepts like the seven deadly sins by making them a character and placing them onstage

23. Allegory and Symbolism • Allegory is a specific kind of symbolism • Medieval paintings and illuminated manuscripts commonly used allegory as well to portray abstractions. • Sloth, for example, would be portrayed in painting as a man lazily draped over a bed of pillows. • Vanity would be a figure absorbed in staring at him or herself in a mirror. • Medieval people would have been very exposed to allegory and understood its intentions instantly • Allegorical characters often had archetypal details in common. This common symbolism would further increase the audience’s ability to recognize the allegory. • All characters portraying greed, for example, would wear the same type and color costuming and use the same gestures.

24. Allegory (Vision of a Knight) by Raphael Virtue Pleasure

25. Everyman (1495) Best known morality play Central problem is the salvation of human beings represented by struggle to avoid sin The Everyman motif is repeated in Marlowe’s Faustus decades later Title unsubtly implies that every man’s soul is in peril

26. The jist of morality plays… Satan is always bad Angels are Always good Man must struggle between bad and good

27. The Medieval Stage

28. The Stage Within the Church Catholic Cathedrals were shaped like a cross to remind parishioners of the crucifixion After tropes grew into full-blown religious scenes, areas of the church were devoted to the plays Mansions- The areas set off for dramas. Each represents a different time or place and the audience moves between them to witness the full cycle

29. The Stage Outside the Church

30. Stationary Wagons Instead of the audience moving between mansions, they now move between elevated wagons. These are very similar to the mansions, but typically larger Elevated to allow the audience a better view Sometimes uncovered, canopied, or even multileveled, allowing performers, props, and scenery to descend from above the platform Tiring House- the dressing room, concealed with curtains or built under the platform

31. Pageant Wagons As audiences got larger, it became more practical to move the wagons rather than the crowds Pageant wagons were set on wheels and moved in a parade-like fashion while the audience stayed in place A scaffold cart would often be placed in front of the pageant wagon, extending the stage to increase the area available to performers

32. Special Effects JK! Machine Loft allowed raising and lowering performers, scenery, and props Elaborate costumes were used to make demonic figures sensationally grotesque. They were crowd favorites The Mouth of Hell was a common mechanical prop from which gun-powder created explosions and smoke belched constantly. Demons would stuff victims into it to the audience’s great delight Very realistic violence. Several actors portraying Jesus’s walk to Calvary suffered severe injuries and even death. One account tells of a Judas who had to be resuscitated after hanging a bit too long.

33. Medieval Actors

34. Progress in Plays; Progress in Actors • Miracles Plays • Primarily monks and choirboys • Nuns played female roles as time passed • Mystery Plays • Some monks and nuns, some guild members • Women included fairly regularly • Morality Plays • Primarily guild members with some professional actors • More and more actors are able to become professionals as time passes and plays become ever more popular • Professional traveling troupes begin to form

35. Professional Medieval Actors Specialized skills needed to operate props like the Mouth of Hell Devils and other characters required acrobatics, juggling, or other uncommon skills Skill as an experienced actor allows performers to secure paying jobs. Good and bad actors are recognized. As the Medieval Age blends into the Renaissance, traveling troupes are in demand. Shakespeare joins one of these in his early twenties.

36. Medieval Drama Draws to a Close Its influence on Renaissance theatre in the mid sixteenth century is profound Dramatic devil characters become sophisticated Elizabethan villains Religious themes are maintained even as substance becomes secular More to come…