Course Introduction

 
This course will touch briefly on the beginnings of medieval drama exemplified in the Quem Quaeritis trope and proceed to survey representative Latin works in English translation over a period of 1000 years including both devotional and secular selections.Along with analysis of the dramatic texts, this course aims to contextualize the plays and point out the human motives that shaped them on the basis of religious orthodoxy, newly discovered leisure time and public funding, complimentary architectural environments, theatrical ingenuity and public literacy, spirit and taste. Students will read short primary supplements disclosing the private lives of key figures connected with the pageants and cycles as a means to understand their significance in medieval society.
With the assistance of the Internet, key medieval drama Websites such as the York Cycle of Mystery Plays at Toronto 1998, created by Steve Wright of The Catholic University of America, will become important textual and visual resources as will a number of other multi-media sources such as video tapes of the FJU English Department Medieval Drama Festival 2000 and subsequent mini-conference. Of course, the medieval world-view is at the heart of middle English drama, and students will be introduced to a religious consensus that existed at that time and is still evident in the revival of old and emergence of new Passion play summer festivals. With Internet assistance, students will read the reviews and access production materials for two international medieval cycle plays, the York Minster Pageant in the City of York and the Bavarian Oberammergau Passion Play. A brief introduction to the summer outdoor religious pageantry in the United States will be added to demonstrate the contemporary nature and survival of the medieval drama spirit

 
This course will touch briefly on the beginnings of medieval drama exemplified in the Quem Quaeritis trope and proceed to survey representative Latin works in English translation over a period of 1000 years including both devotional and secular selections.Along with analysis of the dramatic texts, this course aims to contextualize the plays and point out the human motives that shaped them on the basis of religious orthodoxy, newly discovered leisure time and public funding, complimentary architectural environments, theatrical ingenuity and public literacy, spirit and taste. Students will read short primary supplements disclosing the private lives of key figures connected with the pageants and cycles as a means to understand their significance in medieval society.
With the assistance of the Internet, key medieval drama Websites such as the York Cycle of Mystery Plays at Toronto 1998, created by Steve Wright of The Catholic University of America, will become important textual and visual resources as will a number of other multi-media sources such as video tapes of the FJU English Department Medieval Drama Festival 2000 and subsequent mini-conference. Of course, the medieval world-view is at the heart of middle English drama, and students will be introduced to a religious consensus that existed at that time and is still evident in the revival of old and emergence of new Passion play summer festivals. With Internet assistance, students will read the reviews and access production materials for two international medieval cycle plays, the York Minster Pageant in the City of York and the Bavarian Oberammergau Passion Play. A brief introduction to the summer outdoor religious pageantry in the United States will be added to demonstrate the contemporary nature and survival of the medieval drama spirit.


Syllabus


     MEDIEVAL DRAMA STUDIES COURSE OUTLINE
FJU Graduate Institute of English    Fall, 2000   Monday 1 :40 ¡V 4 :30 pm
Faculty : Lyn Scott    Texts : Early English Drama, edited by John Coldewey
       The Mysteries, Tony Harrison
Sept 18 Introduction to outdoor religious drama traditions : The Oberammergau Passion Play 2000 ; The Promise, Glen Rose, TexasAssignment : RS #1 : select one discussion  question (250 words due Oct 02)*
Sept 25 Roman Britain 44 ¡V 950 the new religion and folk plays Medieval types, symbols, icons, terms and other specialized languageAssignment : RS #2 : select one discussion question (500 words due Oct 009)
Oct 02 Roman Britain 950 ¡V 1300 ; and De Tragoediis by Honorius AutunTroping and RS #3 Quem Quaeritis compared (Limoges, Winchester, Fleury) Assignment : RS #4 Daily life of small business, Church, schools, scholars ;  select one discussion question (500 words due Oct 16)*
Oct 09 Medieval art, architecture and actors ¡V Internet Assisted Guilds and playersAssignment : write short essay (1 ¡V 2 pp due Oct 23)
Oct 16  Medieval society and cycle playsAssignment : Matt 26 ¡V 28 ; Mark 14 ¡V15 ; Luke 22 ¡V24 KJV of the Bible ; and RS #5 The Passion Play from Benediktbeuern
Oct 23 Introduction to Church Fathers Tertullian and St. Augustine Assignment : Harrison, The Passion ; view Freshman Medieval Festival Wakefield Crucifixion ; access  Internet Assisted TorontoYork Cycle and Glossary of Middle English 
Oct 30 The Passion of Christ in films - video exerpts and analysisExamples of Christic types in modern dramaAssignment : prepare 20-minute report (open topic and format)
Nov 06 Report presentations ; Compare and Contrast  the Chester Noah and his Sons with the Brome Abraham and Isaac playReference : Genesis 6-8 and  Genesis 22 
Nov 13 Mid-term examination Part I Written (in class) and II (online Review of other Medieval Website)Assignment : Coldewey, the text of Wisdom ; view Freshman Medieval Festival Everyman video ; and attend Demonstration play, Paphnutius, Hrosvitha
Nov 20 sources and staging of WisdomRS #6 Wisdom literature ; morality plays and Medieval valuesAssignment : choice of questions (300 words due Nov 27)*
Nov 27 Saints and martyrs : Joan of Arc, Anne Askew and others Comparison of video versions of St. JoanTracing Medieval characters  in later literatureAssignment : Coldewey, the Wakefield Second Shepherds¡¦ Play
Dec 04* Saint plays or Conversion plays and Mary Magdalene (Coldewey) Other Medieval stock characters and their influenceAssignment : Selected text analysis, paraphrase and visuals (due Dec 18 online)
Dec 11 The Second Shepherds¡¦ Play Elizabeth I and the end of Medieval drama Assignment : Final Project Part II (due Jan 12 online)
Dec 18 Final Written Identification and Oral Examination Part I (inclass) and Part II Jan 12 online)
Course Information :  Dec 04 OR substitute day. Attendance and Participation 10%
Mid-term 20% Final 20%  Online and Inclass Reports 50%

 

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