Medieval Theater

Introduction

A lot can be learned about people, their values, and their culture by examining their arts and entertainment. Theater, for example, is a mirror of the people and society from which it springs. Through the ages, it has been used as a form of worship, an educational tool, a force for political and social change, a form of personal expression, and a source of entertainment. During Medieval times, it was embraced by the church as a way to bring religion to the people. What does this tell you about the people during that time? And what does your entertainment say about you?

Guiding Question

How does theater change and evolve to reflect the people who create it?

Questions

1. What were wandering minstrels? What was their function?
2. What is feudalism? How did it work?
3. What was the center of learning and the center of village life in Medieval times?
4. What is a trope?
5. What was the church's role in the start-up of theater in Medieval times?
6. What is a Miracle play?
7. What are Mystery plays?
8. What effect did these plays have on church attendance?
9. What is a Morality play?
10. What is the name of the most famous Morality play?
11. What happens in this play? What is the moral?
12. Why did Pope Innocent banish plays from being performed in the church even though they originated there?
13. What is a guild?
14. Why did the guilds take over sponsoring plays when the church abandoned them?
15. Where were the plays performed?
16. Describe a typical pageant wagon.
17. Where did the pageant wagon travel?
18. How did the content of Medieval plays change after they were no longer performed in the church?

Internet Resources

Drama in Medieval Times
Morality Plays
Famous Morality Plays
Miracle Plays
Mystery Plays
Wandering Minstrels
Feudalism
Medieval Life and Culture
Medieval Pageant Wagons
Trope
Guilds

Activities

1. Imagine yourself as a newspaper correspondent sent to document the arrival of the first pageant wagon in your town. Write a newspaper article describing the event.
2. Choose an ordinary citizen in Medieval times and create a "Day in the Life" journal.
3. Take the point of view of Pope Innocent in 1210 when he removed theater from the church and defend your actions.
4. You've just seen "Everyman" and can't wait to tell your friend about it. Write a letter telling your friend the story and your reactions to it.
5. You are in charge of a village church during the Medieval times. Describe how you use theater during the Sunday services to help educate the people in your village.
6. Create three posters or playbills representing a Miracle, Mystery, and Morality play.

Rosemary Jacobs, Teacher, and Margaret Lee, AP student, collaborated to develop this web hunt.

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