The Mystery Plays, depicting the creation of everything all the way to the end of this world with the judgment, are history plays more than anything else. The Morality Play Everyman; however, is an allegorical play. There are several distinct differences between these two types of plays, Mystery Plays as history and the Morality Play as allegory.
Mystery Plays rely on biblical topics and stories, while the Morality Play does not rely on, or even desire, a specific background story found in the Bible or elsewhere. The Morality Play is an allegory, focusing in on teaching a moral and ethical message to its readers. Mystery Plays recall history through biblical accounts. The Morality Play also can have multiple, deeper meanings, whereas Mystery …show more content…
The Morality Play is “an allegorical drama…in which the characters personify moral qualities (such as charity or vice) or abstractions (as death or youth) in which moral lessons are taught” (“Morality Play”). Morality Plays do not rely on historical or biblical stories in order to reach their goal. The play focuses on a protagonist meant to be a hero “whose inherent weaknesses are assaulted by such personified diabolic forces as the Seven Deadly Sins but who may choose redemption and enlist the aid of such figures as the four Daughters of God (Mercy, Justice, Temperance, and Truth)” (“Morality Play”).
Another distinction between the Mystery Plays and Morality Play is that the Morality Play is an allegory, as previously mentioned. An allegory is “a symbolic fictional narrative that conveys a meaning not explicitly set forth in the narrative,” and literary allegories normally depict “situations and events or express abstract ideas in terms of material objects, persons, and actions” where “…the action of the narrative ‘stands for’ something not explicitly stated” …show more content…
This occurs in every Miracle Play and almost every Miracle Play’s title, including “The Creation of Adam and Eve,” “Cain and Abel,” “Abraham and Isaac,” and “Herod the Great.” Names are important in Morality Plays as it makes it easier for the reader to indicate which character is talking, as well as giving the reader the ability to see the personality of each character through their words and actions.
However, the Morality Play Everyman only uses one person’s real name – God. Almost every other character other than God is a representation. Each character’s name clearly depicts what they each represent, such as Death, Fellowship, Beauty, and Everyman. The only three characters not necessarily named after a representation are Messenger, Angel, and Doctor. Names in the Morality Play are less important than they are in Mystery Plays because the moral is the most important thing, not the story
Mystery Plays rely on biblical topics and stories, while the Morality Play does not rely on, or even desire, a specific background story found in the Bible or elsewhere. The Morality Play is an allegory, focusing in on teaching a moral and ethical message to its readers. Mystery Plays recall history through biblical accounts. The Morality Play also can have multiple, deeper meanings, whereas Mystery …show more content…
The Morality Play is “an allegorical drama…in which the characters personify moral qualities (such as charity or vice) or abstractions (as death or youth) in which moral lessons are taught” (“Morality Play”). Morality Plays do not rely on historical or biblical stories in order to reach their goal. The play focuses on a protagonist meant to be a hero “whose inherent weaknesses are assaulted by such personified diabolic forces as the Seven Deadly Sins but who may choose redemption and enlist the aid of such figures as the four Daughters of God (Mercy, Justice, Temperance, and Truth)” (“Morality Play”).
Another distinction between the Mystery Plays and Morality Play is that the Morality Play is an allegory, as previously mentioned. An allegory is “a symbolic fictional narrative that conveys a meaning not explicitly set forth in the narrative,” and literary allegories normally depict “situations and events or express abstract ideas in terms of material objects, persons, and actions” where “…the action of the narrative ‘stands for’ something not explicitly stated” …show more content…
This occurs in every Miracle Play and almost every Miracle Play’s title, including “The Creation of Adam and Eve,” “Cain and Abel,” “Abraham and Isaac,” and “Herod the Great.” Names are important in Morality Plays as it makes it easier for the reader to indicate which character is talking, as well as giving the reader the ability to see the personality of each character through their words and actions.
However, the Morality Play Everyman only uses one person’s real name – God. Almost every other character other than God is a representation. Each character’s name clearly depicts what they each represent, such as Death, Fellowship, Beauty, and Everyman. The only three characters not necessarily named after a representation are Messenger, Angel, and Doctor. Names in the Morality Play are less important than they are in Mystery Plays because the moral is the most important thing, not the story