The emergence of drama as a literary art - Mindy Ploeckelmann

TL;DR

Medieval clergy used plays to teach Bible stories, leading to morality plays and influencing Renaissance playwrights.

Transcript

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Jessica Ruby In the 11th and 12th centuries, most English commoners were illiterate. Since they had no way to learn the Bible, the clergy came up with an inventive solution: they'd create plays out of certain Bible stories so even people who couldn't read could learn them. These were called mystery plays beca... Read More

Key Insights

• 🖐️ Medieval clergy created mystery and miracle plays to educate illiterate commoners on Bible stories.
• 🖐️ The transition to morality plays in the 14th century focused on virtues and vices rather than direct Biblical narratives.
• 🥺 Morality plays eventually led to the outlaw of performances by the church due to the shift towards crude and immoral content.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did clergy in the medieval period use drama to educate illiterate commoners?

Clergy in the medieval period used mystery plays and miracle plays to creatively depict Bible stories, making them accessible to commoners who were illiterate.

Q: Why did the plays transition from Biblical stories to morality plays in the 14th century?

The transition occurred as morality plays aimed to depict virtues and vices, reflecting a shift towards moral lessons and allegorical storytelling during the medieval period.

Q: What were some consequences of the clergy losing control over the portrayal of these morality plays?

When the clergy lost control, the content of the plays shifted into crude and sometimes comic stories, promoting vices rather than virtues to the audiences.

Q: How did the outlaw of medieval performances influence the development of theater?

The outlaw of medieval performances led to the establishment of theaters outside city walls, paving the way for Renaissance playwrights like Shakespeare to carry on the legacy of storytelling through drama.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• In the 11th and 12th centuries, clergy created mystery plays and miracle plays to teach Bible stories to illiterate commoners.

• These plays evolved into morality plays by the 14th century, focusing on virtues and vices, eventually leading to the outlaw of performances by the church.

• The transition from medieval drama to Renaissance playwrights like Shakespeare was influenced by the themes of inner struggles and conscience in these plays.