Morality plays

Definition

Morality plays are a genre of medieval drama that emerged in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, designed to teach moral lessons and guide audiences in their understanding of virtue and vice. These plays typically feature allegorical characters representing moral attributes or concepts, such as Good Deeds, Death, and Everyman, and often present a conflict between good and evil. The central focus of morality plays is the moral journey of the protagonist, reflecting the societal values and religious beliefs of the time.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Morality plays often feature a central character who represents humanity and undergoes a moral struggle, ultimately seeking redemption or salvation.
2. One of the most famous morality plays is 'Everyman,' which emphasizes the importance of good deeds and the inevitability of death.
3. These plays were primarily performed by traveling troupes or local guilds during festivals and religious celebrations, making them accessible to a wide audience.
4. Morality plays reflect the medieval worldview, emphasizing the significance of Christian values and moral choices in determining one's fate after death.
5. The decline of morality plays occurred during the Renaissance as new forms of drama emerged, focusing on more complex characters and secular themes.

Review Questions

• How do morality plays use allegory to convey moral lessons?
  • Morality plays utilize allegory by personifying abstract concepts like Good Deeds and Death as characters within the narrative. This technique allows audiences to visually engage with moral dilemmas and understand the consequences of their choices. By presenting a struggle between virtue and vice through relatable characters, these plays effectively communicate important moral lessons in a way that resonates with viewers.
• Discuss the role of the protagonist in a typical morality play and how this character's journey reflects societal values.
  • In a typical morality play, the protagonist often represents all of humanity and embarks on a journey that illustrates the conflict between good and evil. The character's struggle to make moral choices reflects the societal values of medieval Christianity, emphasizing themes such as repentance, redemption, and the importance of good deeds. This journey serves not only to entertain but also to educate audiences about ethical behavior and spiritual growth.
• Evaluate the impact of morality plays on later forms of drama and how they paved the way for new theatrical traditions.
  • Morality plays significantly influenced later forms of drama by establishing key conventions such as character development, moral conflict, and thematic exploration. Their emphasis on ethical questions laid groundwork for the emergence of more complex narrative structures seen in Renaissance theater. As playwrights began to move away from didacticism towards individual character exploration, elements from morality plays can still be observed in modern storytelling, highlighting their lasting legacy in theatrical traditions.

Related terms

allegory: A narrative technique in which characters or events symbolize broader themes and concepts, often conveying moral or spiritual lessons.

theater of the absurd: A style of theater that explores the absurdity of human existence, often through illogical plots and nonsensical dialogue, contrasting with the clear moral messages in morality plays.

liturgical drama: Early medieval plays that were performed as part of church services, which eventually evolved into morality plays by incorporating more secular themes and characters.