English Dramas in the Age of Revival (1400-1550)- UGC NET ENGLISH PAPER II UNIT 1, MODULE 3

Plays of Henry Medwall (1462-1502):

1.  Fulgens and Lucrece (1497) :

• Importance of the Play: first play written in vernacular language, first secular play in English literature,  first play to introduce a sub plot,  also first play to give importance to woman character - the play is but in debate form.

• Theme : Can nobility be with a common man? 

• Story: Lucrece, the daughter of a senator named Fulgens is wooed by an idle but man of high rank Publius Cornelius and a common but studious man Gaius Flaminius. Both debate to prove their worthiness to Lucrece  who finally chooses Gaius for his honest love for her,  in spite of the wealth and charms of Cornelius. 

• Subplot : The comic subplot deals with the debate between A and B, the servants of Cornelius and Gaius  to win the hand of Joan,  the handmaid of Lucrece. 

2. Nature: It is a morality play  by Medwall, dealing with the conflict between Virtues and Vices, with Nature as important personified character - published without name and date.

3. Of the Finding of Truth : An interlude by Medwall, best known as the first play to introduce fool that is to be popularized by Shakespeare later.

The Plays of John Rastell (1475-1536)

(About John Rastell : The First printer. of music,  playwright,  Member of parliament,  brother in law of Thomas More)

1. Four Elements (1520):  an interlude as well as a morality play- Theme: the conflict between good and evil - The four elements are Nature,  Studious,  Desire and Experience - Story : Nature,  the teacher of Humanity directs her subordinates to instruct Physics and Geography to Humanity but tempted by Ignorance and Sensual Appetite with a Taverner,  Humanity is carried away from his study to indulge in food, dance,  singing,  women,  drinking in a tavern,  and the play ends with the acknowledgment of guilt by Humanity and his repentance for the same.

2. Other Works of John Rastell:

• The Past time of People, Chronicles of the Realms of England (1529) : not a play but a chronicle dealing with the history from the earliest time to the time of Richard III
• Calisto and Melibea: Story: Based on a Spanish play, it deals with how Calisto develops his affair with Melibea with the help of Celestina,  an archetype character of procuress.  Their aim is love and sex,  not marriage.  The play,  in the form of dialogue,  ends with the death of Calisto in accident and eventual suicide of Melibea.
• Gentleness and Nobility(1525 to 1527) : The play presents a debate about nobility among three representatives of society,  A Knight of aristocratic birth,  a Merchant and a Plowman - much debate and little action.

The Plays of John Bale (1495 - 1563):

(About John Bale: the first dramatist to write a historical verse play on the life of King John - nicknamed as 'bilious Bale'and 'foul mouthed Bale' for his quarrelsome nature  - attracted and supported by Cromwell for his morality plays - best known as Bishop of Ossory rather than as a dramatist, though he is supposed to have written 24 plays, and 5 of them to have survived)

1. King Johan(1538): 

first historical verse play as well as morality play - the play as protestant propaganda -  based on the story of King John who ruled England in the 13th C. - first performed before King Henry VIII and later revised for the performance before Elizabeth - theme : King John 's fight against Roman Catholic and the Church of England Story: England, personified as a widow seeks the help of King John to get back her husband God who is driven out of her by Sedition. King's fight against Sedition and his companions Dissimulation,  Church,  Private Wealth and Usurped Power is of no avail.  The young son of England is also impoverished and blind.  Even his supporters Clergy,  Nobility and Civil Order leave him.  The another supporter Commonality,  the young son of England is also impoverished and blind.  Though the king is thus helpless,  he defies Pope and finally get assassinated by Sedition.

Other Works of John Bale: Though John Bale is known for his other works A Summary of Famous Writers of Great Britain,  Wales and Scotland,  and The Images of Two Churches(a detailed commentary on book of revelation) ,  they are not plays.

The Plays of  Niccolo Machiavelli (1469- 1527):

(About Machiavelli: an Italian playwright and historian of Florence -fsther of Modern Political Science - known for his Discourses on The First Ten Books of Titus, Florentine Histories, seven books on The Art of War and the greatest political treatise The Prince which is repeatedly pointed out in Elizebethan dramas, appreciated by Bacon and Marlowe - known for Machiavellian villains and anti-heroes - Machiavelli, himself appearing in Marlowe's Jew of Malta and George Eliot's Romola - a comedy entitled with his name Machiavelli by Richard Vetere)

1. The Mandrake ( or Mandragola): first performed in 1526 during carnival season - the action of the play set in 1504, at the time of Florentine Republic, covers 24 hours - Story: the hero Callimaco desires to sex with Lucrezia, the young beautiful daughter of an old fool Nicia who longs for a heir. Callimaco succeeds in persuading Nicia to drug Lucrezia with the hypnotic plant Mandrake that, as he warns, would improve fertility of Lucrezia but would kill  the first man who has sex with her. Convinced by her mother and husband, the innocent Lucrezia breaks her marriage vows as a divine plan and allows the disguised Callimaco to fulfill his desire, but only to take him as a permanent lover later.
The Plays of John Heywood (1497-1580):
(About Heywood : poet and playwright - used in his plays narrative and debate,  Not action and plot - a royal servant of Henry VIII,  Richard VI,  Mary I and Elizabeth I )

1. Johan Johan the Husband (1533) :
Summary : Tyb,  the wife of John John makes him a cuckold by having an affair with local priest Sir John who is invited for a supper and there too the wife sends her husband to fetch water,  repair the bucket so as to bed with Sir John.  Hero,  finally weakened throws both of them out only to watch again whether they are still the same out.

2.  The Play of Weather (1533):
Summary : Roman good Jupiter descends to England to know the ideal weather from citizens of all walks of life by directly accessing Gentleman and Merchant and getting reported by his messenger Merry Report about the views of other tradesmen - Ranger,  Water Miller,  Wind Miller,  Gentle Woman,  Laundress,  Young Boy.
Each one asks for a particular weather all round the year that will favor their trade. Jupiter declares the weather to continue as it was earlier so that no trade man will be affected and all will get at least sometimes to recreate and relax.

3. A Play of Love(1534):
An interlude in debate form dealing with pains and pleasures of love - Story : Lover Not Loved and Loved Not a Lover debate the pains of their love whereas Lover Loved and Neither Lover Nor Loved argue about the the supremacy of the pleasures of their love. Two strange judges who are couples declare that all love is inferior to divine love whatever the pleasure may be.

4. The Four Ps or PP (1544):
The tradesmen -Palmer,  Pardoner and Pothecary argue who among them is best and would go to heaven.  The fourth trader Peddler suggests a competition - the one who tells the greatest lie will be the best.  Seeing each one simply argue endlessly, the peddler asks them tell an incredible story to win the competition.  Pardoner tells a story of how he went to hell to save a woman who needed the help of priest.   Pothecary says of how he made a sick woman to fly and attack a castle by igniting gun powder with her.  Palmer says,  he has never seen a woman without patience during his pilgrimage, and wins the competition.

Other Works of John Heywood : a play written before 1533 The Merry play between Pardoner and Friar,   a play in the form of dialogue "Witty and Witless ", a satirical poem The Spider and the Fly (1556)