Abraham and Isaac – Book of Brome

1) The dramatic conflict here depends largely on the development of pathos. How exactly
does the play appeal to the audience’s emotions? Why do you think it does so? Locate
2-3 moments of especially intense affect/pathos.
2) This biblical story would have been very familiar to its medieval audience. How does
this version compare with the story told in Genesis? How does the play defamiliarize the
well-known story? To what effect?
3) At what point does Isaac begin to suspect that all is not as it seems? How do you account
for his willingness to be killed by his father?
4) In line 174, Abraham suggests that he doesn’t have a choice in the matter of sacrificing
his son. Does the play represent him as being a passive as he implies here? According to
the logic of the play, (why) is the sacrifice of Isaac necessary?
5) This play insists throughout on a typological as well as a literal meaning. Can you
identify a few moments when the dialogue points toward this typological significance?
6) Think about the characterization of God in this play on two levels: 1) how is he
represented within the literal, narrative level of the play? How would you describe his
personality? What does God want? 2) If Abraham figures God (reading the play
typologically now), how is this God characterized? Is there any tension between the
literal and the typological representations of God?
7) What do you make of the address to the audience in the Doctor’s final speech (and who is
this guy? Where does he come from?)?
8) Does this play consider any recurrent themes that we’ve seen in biblical cycle plays thus
far?
9) One scholar has recently argued that this play is not meant to be performed, but to be read
(though perhaps aloud). How would you argue for or against this claim based on the text
itself?