Moral play under the influence of humanism & Reformation

Medieval English drama had some important features, which influenced the development of the further English drama. This is, firstly, a great popularity & related with it vitality of morality play. Mystery that has experienced administrative harassment already under Henry VIII & Edward VI, was revived with the short-lived new brilliance under the Catholic Bloody Mary, gradually died out in the reign of Elizabeth. Morality play’s fate was very different. Religious struggle couldn’t be as fatal for it, as for the mystery. Shorter & more flexible, it is easier to adapt itself to the new conditions. More scenic and clear, it was popular, and it was not that easy for the audience to refuse it.

New trends, especially humanistic ideas, gaining ground in the reign of Henry VIII, could not but effect morality plays. Science & journalism used morality plays’ scaffolds. Several plays depicting marriage between Mind and Science appeared. In morality by a school teacher Redford, which has come down to us in incomplete form, Mind as a good knight of the “Round Table” who kills Boredom, the monster, which represents scholastic knowledge, and after this victory gets the hand of his bride. Before that, he had to make an effort to shake off the spell of a harlot Leni. In the play All for Money Thomas Lupton glorified science and mourned its low score in the society, as well as the dire financial situation of its ministers. New characters that appear to illustrate these ideas bear fanciful names: Science without Money; a Scientist with Money; Money without Science; No Science, No Money. Humanist ideas were most clearly reflected in a morality play A New Interlude and a Mery of the IIII elements (1519) by the publisher John Rastell (died 1536), Thomas More's son-in-law. Instead of the old allegorical figures he introduced in it a new hero - a Thirst for Knowledge. Lady Nature instructed him, talking about the spheroidization of the earth; a whore – Necessity of Sensual Pleasure & a sin - Ignorance – were trying to prevent his education. Experience shows him on the map new countries recently discovered & laments that it was not England that got the glory of their discovery. In the prologue, the author explains via the Messenger, that one needs to learn not only the things unseen, but also the visible world: it is a new attack against the scholastic, theological & philosophical science.

Morality plays did not disappear during the reign of Bloody Mary. But, of course, its satire then was headed against Protestantism. So, in the play "The Republic", perhaps the most typical one, Greed calls himself the Government (an allusion to the secularization of church lands), insolence - Power, Oppression - Reformation, Cringing – Honesty, etc. Elizabeth did not like morality plays for daring satire. In 1559 she banned staging of the plays, which dealt with issues of religion & state governing, in English. Therefore, morality plays of her period were of a little number & relatively little interest. However, morality plays provided a very significant impact on the evolution of the composition style of drama, its characters, language, etc.

The flexibility & diversity of the morality play genre is represented in the play by a fierce fighter against Popery, Bishop John Bailey - Kyng Johan (c. 1548). This is, in essence, the first historical chronicle in English drama. It does not break even with the canon of morality play. Written to prove a particular thesis, it is full of allegoric characters who co-exist with historical personages. The play appeared almost certainly before Mary’s accession to the throne (1553). Bailey’s task was the fight against the papal claims & a satire on the vices of the Catholic clergy. This explains the idealization of King John, who is known to be less than fit a hero of glorious deeds & national feats. But as he fought against the Pope & the papacy, his idealization seemed to be legitimate & godly thing.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-31