Morality plays

Definition

Morality plays are a genre of medieval drama that were designed to teach moral lessons, often personifying virtues and vices in their characters. These plays typically featured allegorical figures and focused on the struggle between good and evil, aiming to instruct the audience on how to live a virtuous life. They evolved as part of the broader development of medieval drama and incorporated religious themes, linking closely to the structure and themes found in Mystery Plays, while also influencing the staging and performance practices of the time.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Morality plays emerged in the late 14th century and were popular in England during the 15th and 16th centuries as a means to educate audiences on moral behavior.
2. The most famous morality play is 'Everyman,' which follows the titular character's journey as he seeks salvation and encounters various personifications of virtues and vices.
3. Unlike Mystery Plays, which dramatize biblical stories, morality plays focus more on individual moral choices and personal accountability.
4. These plays were typically performed by guilds or amateur actors, often in public spaces, making them accessible to a wide audience.
5. Morality plays laid the groundwork for later forms of theater, influencing the development of character-driven drama during the Renaissance.

Review Questions

• How do morality plays use allegory to convey moral lessons, and what impact did this have on medieval audiences?
  • Morality plays utilize allegory by representing abstract concepts like virtues and vices through characters who embody these traits. This method made complex moral ideas more relatable and understandable for medieval audiences. By witnessing the struggles between these personified characters, viewers could reflect on their own choices and gain insight into leading a virtuous life. The accessibility of this format allowed for widespread moral education within the community.
• Compare and contrast morality plays with Mystery Plays regarding their themes, structure, and audience engagement.
  • Morality plays primarily focus on individual moral dilemmas and personal accountability, while Mystery Plays depict biblical narratives involving divine intervention. Structurally, morality plays often feature an allegorical journey with clear personifications of virtues and vices, whereas Mystery Plays follow a narrative arc that centers around scriptural events. Audience engagement varies as well; morality plays aimed for introspection among viewers about their personal ethics, while Mystery Plays sought to entertain and educate through communal retellings of sacred stories.
• Evaluate the significance of morality plays in shaping later theatrical forms and their influence on contemporary storytelling techniques.
  • Morality plays significantly shaped later theatrical forms by introducing character-driven narratives that explored ethical dilemmas in relatable ways. This format laid the groundwork for modern storytelling techniques by highlighting character development and personal conflict as central themes. The influence of morality plays can be seen in contemporary theater and literature where complex characters grapple with moral issues, allowing audiences to engage deeply with ethical considerations. Thus, they contribute to an ongoing dialogue about morality that transcends time.

Related terms

Allegory: A literary device in which characters or events symbolize larger concepts or ideas, often used in morality plays to convey moral lessons.

Vice Character: A type of character often found in morality plays that embodies a particular vice, serving as a foil to the protagonist's virtuous qualities.

Interlude: A short comedic or entertaining performance that was often presented between the acts of longer plays, sometimes incorporating moral themes.