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The Origins of
English Theatre
Fabio Pesaresi
[email protected]
Classical Theatre
► Greek
Theatre:
 Ritual function
 Catharsis
► Roman
Theatre:
 inoffensive
entertainment
End of Classical Theatre
early VI century:
last representation in Rome
Medieval Theatre
► Originated
from the
Christian liturgy
► Easter
as the climax
of the year
► Gospel
read by
clericals  Tropes
Evolution of Medieval Theatre
1.
Tropes
2.
Mystery Plays
3.
Miracle Plays
4.
Morality Plays
5.
Interludes
Tropes
► significant
sections of the mass which were
elaborated until they became short liturgical
dramas
► “Quem
quaeritis?”
Easter trope consisting of few lines exchanged
between the three Marys and the angel when they
visit Christ's tomb. Several existing variations of
this trope show the development of the trope into
a short liturgical play with characters, additional
dialogue, set, props, costumes, and stage
directions.
Interrogatio. Quem quaeritis in sepulchro, o
Christicolae?
Responsio. Jesum Nazarenum crucifixum, o
caelicolae.
Angeli. Non est hic; surrexit, sicut praedixerat. Ite,
nuntiate quia surrexit de sepulchro
(Question [by the Angels}. Whom do ye seek in the
sepulcher, O followers of Christ?
Answer [ by the Marys] Jesus of Nazareth, who was
crucified, just as he foretold.
The Angels. He is not here: he is risen, just as he
foretold. Go, announce that he is risen from the
sepulcher)
Potential problems:
Some episodes, such as the Massacre of the
Innocents, forced the monks to deal with several
potential problems:
► how
should such a character like Herod be
portrayed?
► was it appropriate to enact such terrible crimes in
the church?
► was it appropriate for a monk to enact an evil
character?
Mystery Plays
Mystery:
►
One that is not fully understood or that baffles or eludes the understanding; an
enigma: How he got in is a mystery.
►
A mysterious character or quality: a landscape with mystery and charm.
►
A work of fiction, a drama, or a film dealing with a puzzling crime.
►
A religious truth that is incomprehensible to reason and knowable only through
divine revelation.
 An incident from the life of Jesus, especially the Incarnation, Passion, Crucifixion, or
Resurrection, of particular importance for redemption.
 One of the 15 incidents from the lives of Jesus or the Blessed Virgin Mary, such as
the Annunciation or the Ascension, serving in Roman Catholicism as the subject of
meditation during recitation of the rosary.
►
[Middle English misterie, from Latin myst rium, from Greek must rion, secret
rite, from must s, an initiate, from m ein, to close the eyes, initiate.]
Mystery Plays
Mystery
=
an incident from the life of Jesus, especially the
Incarnation, Passion, Crucifixion, or Resurrection,
of particular importance for redemption
Mystery Plays
►
represented at first inside
the church by churchmen
►
in Latin
►
episodes from the Gospel
or from the Bible
►
faithful to the Sacred Texts
Mystery plays:
subjects
► Creation
► Adam
and Eve
► The
Flood
► The
Crucifixion
► The
Resurrection
Mystery Plays:
evolution
13th century:
various guilds began
producing the plays
► in
► at
the vernacular
sites removed from
the churches
Mystery Plays: the guilds
►
Cardmakers. God
Creates Adam and Eve.
►
Glovers. Sacrificium
Cayme et Abell.
►
Shipwrites. Building of
the Ark.
►
Fysshers and Marynars.
Noah and the Flood.
►
Masonns. Coming of
the Three Kings to
Herod.
Mystery Plays
► lengthy
► Took
cycles
many days
► represented
by
professionals
► acted
on moving
stages
The Pageant
►
moveable carriage on six
wheels
►
two vertical rooms:
 lower room for the actors to
prepare themselves
 upper room for the acting
►
use of mechanical devices:
trapdoors, flying angels,
fire-spouting monsters
consequences
► strictly
religious nature of the plays declined
► they
became filled with irrelevancies and
apocryphal elements
► satirical
elements were introduced to mock
physicians, soldiers, judges, and even
monks and priests.
Mystery Plays: importance and role
► Gave
pride to the community
► Lasted
► Gave
many days (up to 40)
a moral teaching
► Provided
entertainment with comic elements
Miracle plays
►a
real or fictitious account of the life, miracles, or
martyrdom of a saint
► in
vernacular
► performed
► not
at public festivals
controlled by clerical authorities
► filled
with unecclesiastical elements
End of Mystery and Miracle Plays
1576 : last recorded
production
Reasons:
► Reformation considered
them too connected to
popery
► Productions had become
too expensive
► Other forms of theatre had
become available