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Miracle or Mistry plays and Morality Play
Miracle and mystery plays were religious plays of the middle ages. Some scholars make a distinction between miracle and mystery plays. According to them miracle plays were based on the miracle perform by saints. The mystery plays are based on the biblical themes. Modern scholars do not make any distinction between miracle and mystery plays.
This medieval plays reached their peak in 14th and 15th centuries. These plays were performed from a “Wagon” a kind of moveable stage. Both miracle and mystery plays were performed outside the church premises. Now the church had no control over them. Some associations took the responsibility of performing these plays. People gathered at one stop or station and the actors came there with their wagons and perform these plays.
These guilds (An association of skilled workers in the middle ages) or trade unions perform the whole cycle. All episodes from the creation to the crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ. The famous English cycles were a kind of moveable stage. The famous English cycles were (1) York (2) Coventry (3) Wakefield (4) Chester. But miracle and mystery plays gave birth to comedy.
Another kind of drama developed from miracle and mystery plays. It is called morality plays. Morality plays were simpler. They were not performed by guilds. The subjects were allegorical plays and tried to teach a moral lesson. Fine examples of morality place in English are Messenger’s death, Everyman, Fellowship, Good Deeds etc. The theme of the play is summoning in Everyman by death. Everyman finds that none of his friends accept good dates will accompany him. Morality plays were performed even during Elizabethan age. Marlowe’s play “Dr. Faustus” contents many elements of morality play. Thus we find that English drama was born in the church. Then miracle and mystery plays came to existence. They gave birth to morality plays.