Medieval Theatre

Quem Quareritis

925

"Quem Quareritis" translates to "Whom are you Seeking?" According to the "Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature," this three-line trope was first used at the beginning of opening services of Mass for Easter during the early 10th century. The Whom do you Seek (Quem-Quaeritis) Easter trope, dating from ca. 925, is an example of performing the events surround Christ's empty grave.(Brockett al.)

Hrosvitha

935

Hrosvitha was the first female dramatist. She had written several plays, including, "Pafnutius," "Dulcitius," "Gallicanus," "Abraham," "Callimachus," and "Sapientia," according to (Brockett et. al). She is considered the first female writer from the German Lands, the first female historian, the first person since antiquity to write dramas in the Latin West(Ives 2000).

Æthelwold of Winchester

963

King Edgar seated between St. Æthelwold, Bishop of Winchester, and St. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury. From an eleventh-century manuscript of the Regularis Concordia. Æthelwold of Winchester was Bishop of Winchester from 963 to 984 and one of the leaders of the tenth-century monastic reform movement in Anglo-Saxon England(Wikipedia).

Oro Virtutum by Hildegard of Bingen

1155

Arguably the oldest surviving morality play and an early example of liturgical drama, her play Oro Virtutum is the struggle for the human Soul between Virtues and the Devil.

The play of adam

1200

The Play of Adam at the Cloisters (2016). Christian Wilson as Adam, Allie Wessel as The Devil. Directed by Kyle A. Thomas. The Play of Adam is a twelfth-century liturgical drama written in the Anglo Norman dialect of Medieval French. It is a dramatic representation of the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve, the story of Cain and Abel, and a series of prophets including Isaiah and Daniel(Studer 1928).

Dramas outside the Church

1200

Performance of religious plays outside of the church began sometime in the 12th century through a traditionally accepted process of merging shorter dramas into longer plays. According to "Medieval Theatre," written by the "Northern Virginia Community College," there were two main stages that dramas took place. These were called the "Mansions," which were small scenic structures to indicate location, and "Platea" which is the general acting area (Eric W. Trumbull).

Sponsus et Sponsa

1200

Sponsus et Sponsa, On the Song of Songs and Other Writings by Honorius Augustodunensis, Germany.
Sponsus is a medieval Latin and Occitan dramatic treatment of Jesus' parable of the ten virgins. A liturgical play designed for Easter Vigil, it was composed probably in Gascony or western Languedoc in the mid-eleventh century. Its scriptural basis is found in the Gospel of Matthew (25:1–13).(Encyclopedia Britannica)

Le Miracle de Théophile

1245

"Le Miracle de Théophile" was a religious drama written by Rutebeuf in the year 1245. According to "Britannica," this drama tells the story of a priest who sells his soul to the devil and is saved by the Virgin.(Encyclopedia Britannica)

Jeu de Robin et Marion by Adam de la Halle

1282

The story is a dramatization of a type of medieval French song called a pastourelle, a song that usually depicts a knight approaching a shepherdess with desires of romance. The story goes that Marion, a shepherdess, is approached by a persistent knight who proposes marriage to her.

The Interlude of the Student and the Girl

1300

The Interlude of the Student and the Girl (Latin: Interludium de clerico et puella) is one of the earliest known secular plays in English, first performed c. 1300.(Encyclopedia Britannica)

The Resurrection

1440

Master of the Osservanza
The Resurrection, ca. between 1440 and 1445
Poetic in conception and innovative in composition, this painting is a masterpiece of Sienese fifteenth-century painting. In this scene, the still sleepy soldiers are amazed to see the risen Christ float gloriously above the sealed sarcophagus, holding the banner of victory and the olive branch of peace. The extensive landscape is both naturalistic and symbolic: the Resurrection.(Britanica)

Everyman

1495

"Everyman" was produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company. According to Brockett, "Everyman" was "directed by Kathryn Hunter and Marcello Magni," (Brockett et. al). It was first published in England in the early sixteenth century. According to "Encyclopedia," "this English play is now thought to be based on an early Dutch play, "Elckerlijc," published in 1495.

Pieta

1498

"Pieta" was sculpted by Michelangelo in 1498. According to, Analysis of the Art of Renaissance Italy. The scene of the Pieta shows the Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Christ after his crucifixion, death, and removal from the cross, but before he was placed in the tomb.

The Castle of Perseverance

1500

The Castle of Perseverance is a c. 15th-century morality play and the earliest known full-length vernacular play in existence. Along with Mankind and Wisdom, The Castle of Perseverance is preserved in the Macro Manuscript that is now housed in the Folger Shakespeare Library. The Castle of Perseverance depicts mankind's progress from birth to death(Wikipedia).

The Second Shepherds' Play

1500

The shepherds realize that the babe in the cradle is actually a sheep. Players of St Peter, London (2005).
The Second Shepherds' Play is a famous medieval mystery play which is contained in the manuscript HM1, the unique manuscript of the Wakefield Cycle. These plays are also referred to as the Towneley Plays.(Encyclopedia Britannica)

Gil Vicente

1502

Gil Vincente was a famous chief dramatist of Portugal during the early 1500s. According to "Britannica," "His first known work was produced June 7, 1502, on the occasion of the birth of the future John III." This was a short play titled, "Monológo del vaquero" Meaning, "The Herdsman’s Monologue," which was presented in Castilian in the apartment of Queen Maria. Vincente then went on to release several other famous works before his death in 1536.(Wikipedia)