English Mystery Plays
by Peter Happe (Editor)

Name: English Mystery Plays
Brand: Peter Happe (Editor)
SKU: 9780140430936
Rating: 3.73 (57 reviews)

English Mystery Plays Book Cover — English Mystery Plays Cover

Highlights

British Religious Christmas

Why we like it

"The 'English Mystery Plays,' edited by Peter Happe, revives the medieval tradition of storytelling through allegorical dramas that depict pivotal biblical events in a rich historical context."

From: Historical Dramas

What readers are saying

Readers appreciate the breadth of content in the English Mystery Plays, covering key Biblical events in an engaging manner. Many find the performances historically intriguing, though a few feel the collection may lack depth for academic purposes while being potentially overwhelming for casual readers.

Engaging historical performancesBroad coverage of Biblical eventsFun and accessibleLacks depth for academic readersToo many heresies noted

Synopsis

Humour, pathos and suffering, and the culminating drama of the Crucifixion and Resurrection, give these plays a wonderful immediacy.

Their action was conceived on a cosmic scale and all the enthusiasm and vitality of their writing is retained to this day.

The energies of whole communities, notably at Chester, York and Wakefield, were devoted to their production and they were to influence later dramatists significantly.

The grand design of the mystery plays was to celebrate the Christian story from 'The Fall of Lucifer' to the 'Judgement Day', and this volume contains thirty-eight plays, forming in itself a composite cycle and including almost all the incidents common to the extant cycles.

ThemesEnglish drama English drama--To 1500 Mysteries and miracle-plays, English