Genre Overview of Medieval Plays PDF

Chaucer (Pardoner’s Tale) Autobiographical - narrative in which he discusses his "tricks of the trade" and, in the process, reveals his sins to his audience. (prologue) - the Pardoner's autobiography borrows its confessional aspect from medieval morality plays, in which cha...

Chaucer (Pardoner’s Tale) Autobiographical - narrative in which he discusses his "tricks of the trade" and, in the process, reveals his sins to his audience. (prologue) - the Pardoner's autobiography borrows its confessional aspect from medieval morality plays, in which characters who represented vices like Lust or Greed would confess their sins Moral Tale - The Pardoner's Tale is part of the manipulation he practices. It's a morality story he preaches when he's trying to convince people to hand over their money in exchange for pardon - extended exemplum, a story that shows a character's true morality. (e goes on this journey with an intent to gain gold from people for his false pardons - Has a moral in the story about how greed, lust and pride will ultimately kill you or serve you badly - aware of his own dishonesty but in fact his tale doesn’t really have any concrete moral other than ‘don’t sin’. It’s clear that the object of his tale is to sell more pardons and relics instead of telling a ‘moral tale’ Sermon - If you sinned, you were not going to heaven. People wanted salvation - In order to do this they must repent, undertake penance, make amends and then finally be absolved by a PRIEST.- ALSO get a PARDON. o When you gave money to a charitable cause and in return get a certificate known as a pardon. - Pardoner “raising funds” for St. Mary Rouncivale in Charing. his particular hospital in 1379 was placed under special measure.- orrupt charity workers within it. - Prologue is VERY long - The pardoner’s tale’s theme is avarice. Takes more than he needs Critics Views D.W. Robertson views the Pardoner as a symbol of ecclesiastical corruption. His actions and confession reflect widespread critiques of the medieval Church's greed and moral decay. Derek Pearsall highlights the Pardoner’s psychological depth, viewing his confession in the prologue as a moment of self-revelation that oscillates between honesty and performance. Glending Olson ncourages the audience to question the effectiveness of moral storytelling. The Physician presents a high-stakes moral tragedy, while the Pardoner openly exploits moral tales for personal gain, inviting readers to reflect on the nature and purpose of moral lessons. Morality Plays What are they? - 1/3 of the vernacular dramas in medieval period. (other two = mystery + miracle plays) - Performed: quasi-professional groups of actors. Relied on public support = plays were usually short - Morality plays = allegorical characters eg: personify moral qualities (such as charity or vice) or abstractions (as death or youth.) Teach moral lessons are taught. Typically, slapstick. - Most morality plays = humorous undertone. Everyman doesn’t employ humour at all - The lack of humour emphasises the moral point and forces the audience to pay attention Theatre + Mystery cycles - Mystery plays usually represented biblical subjects - Mystery plays can also be known as 'cycle plays' due to their structure. They functioned as a collection of performances, or cycles, that chronicled the spiritual history of Mankind, as told in the Bible. They were the most popular of the vernacular dramas. - miracle play presents a real or fictitious account of the life, miracles, or martyrdom of a saint. - The morality play marked a shift in English drama from liturgical to secular themes. While still religious, these plays introduced more secular topics and incorporated comical elements to entertain audiences. Their focus on storytelling and audience engagement contributed to their popularity Christianity - Everyman: achieves a beautiful, simple solemnity in treating allegorically the theme of death and the fate of the human soul—of Everyman’s soul as he tries to justify his time on earth - Trying to teach people the moral Christian message of the fact that only your good deeds stay with you in death. - The Ars moriendi ("The Art of Dying") are two related Latin texts dating from about 1415 and 1450 which offer advice on the protocols and procedures of a good death, explaining how to "die well" according to Christian - Religion was not separate from day-to-day life. It governed even the most banal. - The ultimate aim was salvation: Achieving a place in heaven after death. Critics Views - Everyman first seen in Antwerp in a university setting. - T.S Eliot: Everyman’s greatness is the “joining powerful spiritual and human insights with ordinary dramatic interest” the human soul in extremity, and on the other any man in any dangerous position from which we wonder how he is going to escape.” - C. S. Lewis: allegorical nature of the characters (such as Knowledge and Good Deeds) diminishes their complexity, making them tools for conveying a moral message rather than fully realized individuals - J. L. Simmons: Everyman’s lack of individual trait and name = lack of individual traits allows him to represent all of humanity, making the play's moral message more relatable and impactful. Complaint Poetry/Autobiographical Texts Complaint Poetry - The complaint = refers to an expression of grievance against public or private injustices; air political grievances, lament the state of the world, or moan that the one you love is ghosting you. - Medieval poets typically complained love or, in Boethian fashion, of the instability of fortune. Hoccleve is not in love, though laments of Fortune's wheel. His focus narrowly personal, and he is so apparently unsusceptible to consolation. - Rooted in both secular and religious tradition - Vehicle for didacticism, reflection, or emotional catharsis Autobiography - The first-person perspective offers intimacy. Hoccleve’s poetry is that it is surprisingly colloquial and direct. Starting in the fourteenth century, first-person narration became more frequent. - Feature of early autobiography – what might be called the confessional mode – is clearly related to widespread Christian theological belief and practice. o presumptuous act: It presumes a certain authorial importance. The writer - the life being recounted is worthy of the literary effort of composition and. Such claims are not easy to reconcile - Christian ideas concerning pride and humility. Some Christian writers took pains to avoid the first-person pronoun whenever possible. (They follow apostle Paul who utilised third person pronoun) Christianity and Chaucer - He knew Chaucer, praising him in other poems. At the start of this extract, Hoccleve nods to the springtime opening of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. - Written in rhyme royal (seven-line stanzas of iambic pentameter with an ABABBCC rhyme scheme), a form associated with Chaucer. - The poem: universal themes of suffering, mortality, and the fragility of the human condition - tied to Christian doctrines of sin, repentance, and salvation. - Hoccleve links his mental suffering to spiritual growth, framing his ordeal as a test of faith. - Moral and practical lessons for both Hoccleve and the reader, situating the poem within the medieval didactic tradition. Takes a moral tone - medieval penitential practices Critics Views - Nicholas Perkins: It’s unusual to have such a personal text from the medieval period. - David Watt highlights that Hoccleve’s Complaint blurs the line between personal confession and public appeal. By sharing his mental distress, Hoccleve seeks both personal redemption and communal reintegration o The Complaint bridges the personal and universal - Ethan Knapp - Hoccleve’s invocation of Chaucer = homage + strategy to align himself with the Chaucerian poetic tradition. John Burrow points out that Hoccleve’s self-referential style, while borrowing from Chaucer, also diverges in its focus on the interiority and the personal. o Hoccleve within the larger medieval literary canon while carving out a unique, personal voice. - Nicholas Watson: penitential aspects of The Complaint - Hoccleve frames his suffering as a spiritual journey toward redemption. Sheila Delany - Hoccleve’s spiritual reflections = performative purposes reflecting his anxiety about societal judgment o Discussion - Hoccleve’s spiritual reflections, do they serve didactic, or performative purposes. Courtly Love/Chivlaric Romance fin'amor - love that emphasized nobility and chivalry. - a "game of love" developed around these ideas as a set of social practices - lias + lyrics = a medieval romantic convention - Allegory is common in the romantic literature of the Middle Ages - used to interpret what was already written. Strong connection: religious imagery and human sexual love in medieval writings. - Romances usually end happily with the restoration of order that was disrupted at the start. - The roots of courtly love as an idea are believed to be from Southern France's Court o The conventions of courtly love – passed on by poetic narratives told by troubadours. Troubadours = traveling poets, but not minstrels or bards - often stay in one place for longer - entertaining the nobility in an area under the patronage of a wealthy member of the aristocracy. Chivalry: - The Code of Chivalry was a set of values that knights saw as law to dictate their actions. Chivalry refers to the qualities expected of a knight such as honor, loyalty, and respect toward their country. - Refined Love - Medieval – marriage was transactional. Acquire wealth and possessions and heir. Male did not need to love wife to marry or have children. Courtly love = elicited controversial opinions because it put woman in control, made the man act on emotion and honour + had “useless” romance. Critics Ideas: Gaston Paris: 1883 article 1. The love is illegitimate, furtive (ie. adulterous). 2. The male lover is in an inferior position and the woman in an elevated one. 3. The man does quests, tests, or trials in the woman's name. 4. There is an art to it, it has rules, in the same vein as chivalry or courtesy. C.S Lewis: - “hende” meaning “courteous - CS Lewis famously defined courtly love as "Humility, Courtesy, Adultery, and the Religion of Love." one vital trope of the male courtly lover is chasing love through long service and faithful obedience, committing to the lady’s wishes and needs even if unreasonable. Andreas Capellanus The man was to admire the lady from a distance before proclaiming his love for her. The woman was expected to deny the lover. The man was then supposed to express his heartbreak and renew his passion with valiant efforts to win the woman. The woman will eventually accept the noble's love. The man and woman are to continue on with their secret love. Applies to: Gawain, Thomas Wyatt Poetry,