(A) Pre-Elizabethan Drama
The four types of plays were developed during the Pre-Elizabethan period.
(i) The Miracle Plays
(ii) The Mystery Plays
(iii) The Morality Plays
(iv) The Interludes
In the beginning, all four types of plays were written for acting in the churches so, they all have a religious background. Gradually, these religious plays came out from the churches to the churchyards and from there to the streets and public places. The actors also changed, and public and professional actors began to act them. These plays became secular, and gradually matters of general public interests and situations of humour and fun also came to be included in them along with the basic religious themes.
(1) The Miracle Plays: These plays dealt with the lives of saints and the miracles performed by them. The life and martyrdom of a saint formed the central theme of a Miracle Play.
(ii) The Mystery Plays: The mystery plays
depicted the themes taken from the old and the New Testament of the Bible. The author often added dome comic scenes of his own invention to engage and retain the interest of the lower classes of the audience in the play as a whole.
(iii) The Morality Plays : These were allegorical plays. Instead of Biblical figures, they represented personified virtues and vices. The hero of these plays was either Everymen or Mankind. Satan was personified as a vice, and God or christ as a virtue. Death was personified as the Reward of Sin, and life after death as Resurrection.
(iv) The Interludes: M.H. Abrams says, "Interlude is a term applied to a variety of short entertainments, including secular forces and witty dialogues with a religious or political point. They were often put on between the courses of a feast or between the Acts of a longer play." So, the interludes were short entertainments that were inserted within the longer plays. Subsequently, they became independent plays too. Their primary aim was to entertain the audience by humour or by force.
Some important Miracle Plays, Mystery Plays, Morality Plays and Interludes
(A) Miracle Plays
(i) Play of St. Catherine
(ii) Daniel
(iii) St. Nicholas
(iv) Life of Thomas a' Becket
(v) The cycle of York Plays
(vi) The cycle of Chester Plays
(vii) The cycle of Coventry Plays
(vii) Shepherd's Play
(ix) Mary Magdalene
(x) The Golden Legend
(B) Mystery Plays
(i) Christ's Nativity
(ii) Resurrection
(iii) Death on the Cross
(iv) Creation and Fall of Man
(v) Last Judgement Noah
(C) Morality Plays
(i) The Castle of Perseverance
(ii) The Four Elements Magnificence
(iii) Play of the Pater
(iv) The Play of the Creed
(v) Mind, Will and Understanding Mankind
(vi) Lusty Juventus
(vii) Marriage of Wit and Science
(viii) The New Custom Trial of Treasure
(D) Interludes
(i) Every Man
(ii) The World and the Child
(iii) God's Promises
(iv) The Pardoner and the Friar
(v) The Four PP
(vi) Thersites
(vii) The Interlude of Youth
(viii) Jack Juggler
(ix) Amphitryon
(x) Nice Wanton
(xi) The Disobedient Child
OBJECTIVE TYPE OF QUESRIONS
1.Virtues and Vices are personified in :
(a) The Miracles
(b) The Mysteries
(c)The Moralities
(d) The Interludes
2.The most popular theatrical Cycle of that
period was :
(a) York Cycle
(b) Coventry Cycle
(c) Towneley Cycle
(d) Chester Cycle
3.The Resurrection of Lazarus was a very
popular play in the fifteenth century. It was a :
(a) Morality Play
(b) An Interlude
(c) Mystery Play
(d) Miracle Play
4."Creation and Fall of Man' is a :
(a) Interludes
(b) Miracle Plays
(c) Mystery Plays
(d) Morality Plays
5.Everyman is the most famous play of the
15th century. Is it a:
(a) Miracle Play
(b) Mystery Play
(c) Morality Play
(d) An Interlude
6.The Mystery Plays deal with:
(a) Heaven and Hell
(b) Biblical Themes
(c) The life and deeds of the saints
(d) Moral Values
7.There were four famous theatrical Cycles enacting the Morality Plays. One of the following four names given below is wrong . Identify the wrong one ?
(a) London Cycle
(b) Towneley Cycle
(c) Chester Cycle
(d) York Cycle
8.The World and the Child is a :
(a) Mystery Plays
(b) Interludes
(c) Miracle Plays
(d) Morality Play
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