MORALITY PLAYS

Morality Plays
Only five medieval English morality plays still survive:
1. The Pride of Life (a corrupted Anglo-Irish text)
2. The Castle of Perseverance
3. Wisdom
4. Mankind
5. Everyman (translated from a Dutch original.)

Two other plays similar to Morality Plays still exist:

1.Second Sheppard's Play
2.Hickscorner

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
 Morality Plays
• 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.
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 Morality Plays
• 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

• It is believed that the allegory of vices and virtues fighting

over Man’s soul goes back to the 4th century Roman epic,

• The allegorical application of theatre to Christianity

is intended to help the audience understand sin and virtue
 Morality Plays
• The three greatest temptations that Man faces in morality
plays are
1.The World
2.The Flesh
3. The Devil

THE MESSAGE:
“Sin is inevitable”
“Repentance is always possible”

• Morality plays were not holiday-specific

• Performed at any time of the year-

Repentance occurs at any time of the year.
 Morality Plays
Characteristics
1.A protagonist who represents either humanity as a
whole or a smaller social structure.
2.Supporting characters are personifications of good
and evil.
3.Provides the audience with moral guidance.
4.Morality plays encourage men to live a righteous life
 Everyman
The archetypal morality play

Characters represent broad ideas

Characters in Everyman are:
1.God
2.Death
3.Everyman
4.Goods (Riches)
5.Good-Deeds
6.Angel
7.Knowledge
8.Beauty
9.Discretion
10.Strength
11.Doctor

The personified meanings of these characters are not hidden

 PLOT:
Everyman God, believing that the people on
earth are too focused on wealth and
worldly possessions, sends Death to
Everyman to remind him of God's
power and the importance of
upholding values.

EVERYMAN is a concrete example of

a Morality Play because of…
1. The emphasis put on morality
2. The vast difference between
good and evil
3. The strong presence of God

However, most morality plays focus

more on evil, while Everyman focuses
more on good, highlighting sin in
contrast.