Morality Plays:
· Dr Faustus has much in common with morality plays that were popular in England at the time
- Moralities typically tell stories that focus on the soul and humanity’s relationship with virtue and temptation.
- E.g. however materially successful our earthly life, it is only our virtue that will help us reach heaven.
- Morality plays personify human qualities such as goodness, or the seven deadly sins.
- The comic scenes in morality plays involving the devil, are often characterised by knockabout physical comedy and carnival elements; a preoccupation with food, sex and drink.
- They also focus on the behaviour of rulers and their responsibility to the state.
- They are a type of allegory in which the protagonist is met by personifications of various moral attributes who try and prompt him to choose a godly life over one of evil – known to be ‘interludes’ which is a broader term given to drama’s with or without a moral theme. However most do have a moral to them.
- Domination/salvation
Mystery plays:
- Are characterised by story’s from the bible
- They deal with major issues and events in the Christian calendar.
- The story’s protagonist is at the centre, and other characters are shortly valued.