English Literature - Evolution of Drama- Early 16th century British Drama

The Early 16^th Century British Drama:

The Historical Background of 16^th century:

In the Middle Ages, the Church was everything. Corruption among the clergy had grown from time to time.  The Church was not merely a religious institution in those days. It played multiple roles like a school, meeting place, the centre of art and above all amusement and entertainment.  It used to be very eager to provide for the people all the delight as well as spiritual uplift by means of arts and letters.  Thus, as early as 1110 A.D., a kind of drama known as the miracle or mystery play evolved out of the church and the religious instinct of man.  By the time of Norman conquest, this type of drama had already evolved in Churches of France.

The Miracle and Mystery Plays:

The Miracle and Mystery plays almost belong to the 15^th century in England. They were the outcome of combined religious and social developments. The dramatic activity was originally started for the Christian Teaching in Churches.  They were performed mainly during religious festivals like Christmas, Easter, etc.  In course of time, these performances were taken the shape of the Miracle plays. These little dramas used to illustrate biblical events.  A miracle used to dramatize an event or a legend from the life of a saint or martyr. In the beginning, the miracles were performed in the churches under the direct control of the clergy.  The language of these plays was the Latin of the service. Initially, their purpose was only religious instruction.

In the latter stage, the venue for these plays was shifted from the church to the churchyard, due to increased audience during festival seasons.  Gradually, dramatic performances spread to the streets, market places and other convenient open places. As a result, the church lost its exclusive control over the production and performance of plays.  Though the plays were mainly religious in character, some elements of humour were introduced.  For example, in the play ‘Noah’s Flood’, Noah’s wife provided great fun for the audience. These religious performances lasted well into the 16^th century.

The Moralities:

After the Miracle and Mystery plays, another important evolution of the drama was the Morality play. A Morality is an allegory cast in the form of play.  The main purpose of this type of play was to give dramatic form to the struggle between good and evil in the life of man. The characters for the Moralities were personifications of abstractions. These include Mankind, Mercy, Justice, Peace, The Seven Deadly Sins, Good and Bad Angels, Old Age and Death, etc. The hero in these plays would be the personification of humanity in general.  “Every man” is the best known of the Moralities. Its subject  is the summoning of every man of death.

The Interludes:

After the Miracle and Mystery Plays and the Moralities, the Interludes form part of the evolution of English Drama. It is very difficult to mention the exact time of their birth. But it can be stated that the moralities gradually developed into interludes.  In the interludes, the moralities underwent a kind of gradual secularization. Their purpose was not exclusively for the salvation of soul according to the church teaching.  The interludes prepared the ground for the emergence of the regular drama. Henry Medwall’s “Nature” is a good example of Interlude dramas.  Nature was given much importance in the place of Christ in this play.