EN 360: Medieval English Drama

Spring Semester 2006

Wednesday 1:20-3:50 in CNS 15

Syllabus

Subject to revision

Beadle & King = The York Mystery Plays, ed. by Richard Beadle & Pamela King

Rose = The Wakefield Mystery Plays, ed. by Martial Rose

Cawley = Everyman and Medieval Miracle Plays, ed. by A. C. Cawley

Wednesday 1/18: The Medieval World and Its Drama

Wednesday 1/25: Plays of the Creation and the Fall of Man

Reading assignment:

• Genesis, Chapters 1-4
• Beadle & King, “General Introduction” to The York Mystery Plays, pp. ix-xxx
• York: “The Fall of the Angels” and “The Fall of Man” (Beadle & King, 1-14)
• York: “The Creation of Adam and Eve” (Cawley, 9-13)
• Rose, “Why Wakefield?” and “The Author?” in The Wakefield Mystery Plays, pp. 9-15
• Wakefield: “The Killing of Abel” (Rose, 73-87)

Wednesday 2/1: Plays of Noah’s Flood

Reading assignment:

• Genesis, Chapters 5-9
• York: “The Building of the Ark” (Beadle & King, 15-20)
• Wakefield: “Noah” (Rose, 88-106)
• Chester: “Noah’s Flood” (Cawley, 33-47)
• N-Town: “Noah” (handout)

Wednesday 2/8: Plays of the Sacrifice of Isaac

Reading assignment:

• Genesis, Chapter 22
• Wakefield: “Abraham” (Rose, 107-116)
• Brome Manuscript: “Abraham and Isaac” (Cawley, 49-64)

Wednesday 2/15: Nativity Plays I

Reading assignment:

• The Gospel of Matthew, Chapters 1-4
• The Gospel of Luke, Chapters 1-3
• York: “Joseph’s Trouble About Mary” (Beadle & King, 48-58)
• Wakefield: “The Annunciation,” “The Salutation of Elizabeth,” “The First Shepherds’ Play” (Rose, 175-206)

First essay due.

Wednesday 2/22: Nativity Plays II

Reading assignment:

• Wakefield: “The Second Shepherds’ Play” (Cawley, 74-104)

Wednesday 3/1: Plays of Herod and of Christ’s Adult Ministry

Reading assignment:

• Wakefield: “Herod the Great” (Cawley, 105-123)
• N-Town: “The Woman Taken in Adultery” (Cawley, 125-136)
• York: “The Temptation” and “The Entry Into Jerusalem” (Beadle & King, 98-124)

Wednesday 3/8: Passion Plays

Reading assignment:

• The Gospel of Matthew, Chapters 26-28
• The Gospel of Luke, Chapters 22-24
• The Gospel of John, Chapters 18-20
• York: “The Conspiracy,” “Christ Before Pilate (I),” “Christ Before Pilate (II),” “The Crucifixion,” “The Death of Christ” (Beadle & King, 125-137, 154-174, 192-236)
• Wakefield: “The Buffeting,” “The Scourging,” “The Hanging of Judas” (Rose, 355-392)
• The Book of Margery Kempe, Chapters 78-81 (handout)

Spring Break

Wednesday 3/22: Plays of Resurrection and Judgment

Reading assignment:

• The Book of Revelation, Chapters 19-20
• York: “The Harrowing of Hell,” “The Resurrection” (Beadle & King, 237-266)
• Wakefield: “The Judgment” (Rose, 520-542)

Wednesday 3/29: Morality Plays

Reading assignment:

• "The Moral Play of Everyman" (Cawley, 195-225)
• "Mankind" (Handout)

Wednesday 4/5: Plays in Performance
Second essay due.

Wednesday 4/12: Plays in Performance

Wednesday 4/19: Plays in Performance

Wednesday 4/26: Plays in Performance

Wednesday 5/3: Public Performances

Monday 5/8: Final Evaluative Essay Due.