Beginning of English drama

The origin of drama goes back to Old English period with religious liturgical rites - brief scenes that clergyman acted out in churches to illustrate Bible stories and later developed into full-length plays. Another source are folkloric plays of pagan provenience that originated from ancient pagan cults, burial and marriage habits, celebrations connected with welcoming of spring season and masquerades so many of these were not connected with Christian religion. Greek and Roman drama were mainly played at schools in original languages and were sophisticated. The predominant for English drama is liturgical source because it already had strong theatrical nature of heavily stylized clothing, expressive gestures, singing, music (usually organ), lighting (atmospheric candlelight) and dialogue between the priest and the believers

A scop /šop/ was a name of profession Old English poet that recited or sang his verses, usually accompanying himself on a harp. A direct descendant of the scop was a minstrel = the wandering performer of Middle Ages. Minstrels were not respected by the Church, though, they were popular among people. Minstrels had to perform good music, had fine singing voices, wit and humour. They performed at fairs, market days and in the service of the rich for an evening entertainment. Stable groups of artists formed around rich patrons who supported them.

When it comes to figure of speech = tropes, the first form of drama in the 9-10^th century consisted of dialogical passages inserted into the Catholic mass, sung, typically at Christmas and Easter but gradually acquired independent existence and became first independent form of medieval liturgical drama.

Mystery plays were a major form of popular medieval religious drama of the 13th century, representing a scene from the Old or New Testament. Miracle plays, also 13th century, were similar but focused on legends of saints' lives. One of the oldest miracle plays is The Harrowing of Hell. which features Christ's triumphant descent into Hell between the time of his crucifixion and resurrection when he brought salvation to all the righteous people.

Both mystery and miracle plays were typically performed by craft-guilds who were on special carts travelling from place to place. It was a norm that a certain guild specialized in certain scenes. Carpenters depicted biblical flood and building of an arc by the nature of their craft. Bakers linked to their profession performed the last supper. These plays were means for ordinary people and existed in the form of cycles according to where they were performed like York Cycle and Chester Cycle.

Other surviving piece is the play of the anonymous WAKEFIELD MASTER The Second Shepherds' Play about poor shepherds who complain about bad weather and miserable situation in the country: "We are simple shepherds...overtaxed, they rob us of the rest, rich men are our pests." Mak comes to visit shepherds, infamous for stealing. When shepherds go to sleep, Mak steals a fat sheep from them, returns home and his wife comes up with an idea to hide the sheep in the cradle and to pretend it is their newborn son. Eventually, shepherds discover the truth, though the trick almost worked. Then an angel comes and sings that in Bethlehem a child of God was born to atone for sins of all people. Shepherds go to visit Mary and her son and celebrate his birth with a song.

Morality play was a new 15th century genre, based on the opposition of vice and virtue. It typically presented the main character as an ordinary, vulnerable human being who needs to be instructed how to live virtuously according to Christian principles. Moralities present a step towards later Renaissance tragedy.

The oldest fully preserved morality play was The Castle of Perseverance in which the main character is Mankind that ignores his Good Angel and listens to the Bad Angel. Mankind is led to Seven Deadly Sins but is forced to repent in the Castle of Perseverance while protected by Seven Moral Virtues.

Everyman is a name of the play but also a character name that can apply to every human being. It is a story of someone getting ready for transition from this life to afterlife. A man is dying and looking back to his life and thinking what to take to afterlife. He realises that he cannot take his body or material possessions but only good deeds which will value him in heaven.

Interludes of early 16^th century were a part of morality plays but since moralities were serious, interludes provided a comic relief. They were short, humorous farcical episodes inserted into serious, didactic moralities but they gradually acquired independent existences and represent a step towards Renaissance comedy.

Medieval theatre was anonymous but we know at least the names of early Renaissance playwrights.

Plays by JOHN BALE and JOHN SKELTON have still many features of moralities but their plays are becoming more political and time-place specific as a transition to Renaissance theatre. Skelton’s Magnificence clearly refers to political troubles surrounding the rule of Henry VIII but he still features vices and virtues.

JOHN HEYWOOD was a courtier and a playwright during the reign of Henry VIII. His The Play of the Weather is an interlude/morality play, an allegory with personified moral attributes. It was meant for common people and included arse humour and sexual implications.