Medieval Morality Plays Essay -- Mystery Plays History Historical Essa

Medieval Morality PlaysThroughout time, there have been more a nonher(prenominal) books, bits, songs, pamphlets, sermons, lectures, etc. pen. These writings were all written with some kind of get to either inform, persuade, entertain, or teach their audience. One such form of publications not too astray cognize about is that of the medieval devotion plays. These plays were not take ined to entertain, but to teach morals and religion to the unlearned reject classes of people in medieval Europe. The worship plays were also quite infallible to teach and inform the underprivileged people, through the thoughtful persuasion of play entertainment. Morality plays, as said above, were most popular and most widely present in medieval times. They were also put in in the azoic times of the renaissance, but in those times they were aimed more for entertainment instead than their original purpose of teaching and informing. (Warren 2). Location wise, most moral philosophy plays were written by French and English playwrights, but they can be found throughout Europe at that time. (1). An early predecessor of the morality plays were the closed book and miracle plays of the earlier medieval period. (1). Of the two, morality plays were more similar in the aim of the messages and such to the miracle plays rather than the mystery plays. (1). The chief(prenominal) difference between the morality and the miracle plays is that the morality plays were allegorical, not historical like the miracle plays. (1). The morality plays were also copen to be more on the entertainment side than the miracle and mystery plays. (1).The meat of the morality plays is what played a hand in the persuasion of its audience. They taught their audiences because their main object was both religious and ethical and easy to grasp for the uneducated population whom largely went to its productions. (Warren 1). The plays also often examined the Christian character so that the flaws and stren gths can be pointed out. (1). The plays were centered mainly on faith, dogma, and the application of the Christian doctrine to common folk life. (1). The characters of the morality plays were usually abstract qualities such as greed, friendship, love, death, etc. (1). There were many other cases when the characters of the morality plays were not abstract qualities. These alternative roles were ones of angels, devils, priests, doctors, fools (found usua... ...ordinary because they not only taught the uneducated, but they also influenced many forms of western drama down the line. (1).In conclusion, the morality plays of the 14th, 15th, and 16th speed of light medieval periods have a rich history behind them. The morality plays did not only entertain the higher, educated classes of the medieval times, but they taught Christian morals and values to the uneducated lower class of people. Without the morality plays, the underclass people would of never learned about their religion and in solving many things in the church may not be how we know it now. The morality plays also persuaded modern drama and that too, may of been very contrastive from what it is today if it wasnt for the medieval morality plays. All in all, morality plays were distinguished for the cultural growth of the western world. Works CitedDohrn, Lori. Religion and Medieval publications A Look at Morality Plays. 14 Feb1999.Hanning, Robert W. Miracle, Mystery, and Morality Plays. The encyclopedia Americana. 1997 ed.Morality Play. 22 Feb 1999. Morality Plays. 22 Feb 1999. Warren, K.M. Moralities (Morality Plays). The Catholic Encyclopedia. 1998 ed.