Morality Play
Encyclopedia
Morality Play is a semi-historical detective novel by Barry Unsworth
. The book, published in 1995 by Hamish Hamilton
was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize
.
). A priest fleeing from his diocese joins up with a group of traveling players. The players are traveling toward their liege lord's castle where they are expected to play at Christmas but, short of money, they decide to stage their plays at a village en-route. When a morality play
from their usual repertoire fails to earn them enough money, Martin, the leader of the group convinces them to stage 'the play of Thomas Wells', a play based on the story of the murder of a young boy from the village. The murderer has already been found, a young woman from the village, and the play seems simple enough, however they soon find that the facts don't fit. The line between the play and reality blurs and, line-by-line, they arrive at the truth about the murder.
s, as it implies that instead of merely rehearsing and performing standard Biblically-based morality play
s of the period, that an acting troupe might actually create and structure a play around events in their village, community or surrounding culture.
The existence of such culturally-connected playcraft is important to scholars of the period, as it implies that works such as the N-Town Plays
may have a provenance beyond simple Biblical literalness, and may speak to the concerns of the culture at that period, much as later drama of the Elizabethan period spoke directly to cultural concerns.
and starring Paul Bettany
and Willem Dafoe
.
Barry Unsworth
Barry Unsworth is a British novelist who is known for novels with historical themes. He has published 15 novels, and has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize three times, winning once for the 1992 novel Sacred Hunger....
. The book, published in 1995 by Hamish Hamilton
Hamish Hamilton
Hamish Hamilton Limited was a British book publishing house, founded in 1931 eponymously by the half-Scot half-American Jamie Hamilton . Confusingly, Jamie Hamilton was often referred to as Hamish Hamilton...
was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize
Man Booker Prize
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe. The winner of the Man Booker Prize is generally assured of international renown and...
.
Synopsis
The book is set in Medieval England sometime near the end of the 14th century and the events described in the book take place in an unnamed village in Northern England (north of the HumberHumber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...
). A priest fleeing from his diocese joins up with a group of traveling players. The players are traveling toward their liege lord's castle where they are expected to play at Christmas but, short of money, they decide to stage their plays at a village en-route. When a morality play
Morality play
The morality play is a genre of Medieval and early Tudor theatrical entertainment. In their own time, these plays were known as "interludes", a broader term given to dramas with or without a moral theme. Morality plays are a type of allegory in which the protagonist is met by personifications of...
from their usual repertoire fails to earn them enough money, Martin, the leader of the group convinces them to stage 'the play of Thomas Wells', a play based on the story of the murder of a young boy from the village. The murderer has already been found, a young woman from the village, and the play seems simple enough, however they soon find that the facts don't fit. The line between the play and reality blurs and, line-by-line, they arrive at the truth about the murder.
Critical Reaction
The novel is unique in its portrayal of medieval English drama and mystery playMystery play
Mystery plays and miracle plays are among the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe. Medieval mystery plays focused on the representation of Bible stories in churches as tableaux with accompanying antiphonal song...
s, as it implies that instead of merely rehearsing and performing standard Biblically-based morality play
Morality play
The morality play is a genre of Medieval and early Tudor theatrical entertainment. In their own time, these plays were known as "interludes", a broader term given to dramas with or without a moral theme. Morality plays are a type of allegory in which the protagonist is met by personifications of...
s of the period, that an acting troupe might actually create and structure a play around events in their village, community or surrounding culture.
The existence of such culturally-connected playcraft is important to scholars of the period, as it implies that works such as the N-Town Plays
N-Town Plays
The N-Town Plays are a cycle of 42 medieval Mystery plays from between 1450 and 1500.-The manuscript:...
may have a provenance beyond simple Biblical literalness, and may speak to the concerns of the culture at that period, much as later drama of the Elizabethan period spoke directly to cultural concerns.
Characters
- Nicolas Barber: The main character, a young priest who, unable to escape the lure of spring, has fled from his duties.
- Martin Bell: The leader of the players.
- Tobias: A player. A thrifty and wise man, who has been part of the player's group for a long while. He owns a scruffy dog.
- Stephen: A player. Formerly an archer for the Sandville family, but, when he lost his right thumb, could not practice his profession any more and thus became a player instead.
- Springer: A player. The youngest of the group, around fifteen. Because of his boyish face, he plays female roles.
- Straw: A player. The most lively in the group, with strange mood swings.
- Margaret: Stephen's woman. She helped out with the costumes and collected entrance fees.
- Brendan: A dead player. Mostly present in the form of a decomposing body and a harbinger of ill tidings for the group.
- Thomas Wells: The young murdered boy.
- Jack Flint: The villager who discovers the body of Thomas Wells.
- Jane: The young woman accused of the murder.
- John Lambert: Jane's father. A simple weaver with strong moral ideas who is convinced that Jane's arrest was meant to silence him.
- Lord de Guise: The local lord.
- William de Guise: Lord de Guise's son.
- Simon Damian: A corrupt monk bound to the Order of the Benedictines who works for the Lord.
- The King's Justice: A man in the service of the King with the legal authority of a court. He had traveled to the unnamed village to judge Lord de Guise and his practices.
- Sir Roger of Yarm: A knight competing in a jousting tournament.
Further reading
- Constructing a World: Shakespeare's England and the New Historical Fiction by Martha Tuck Rozett, State University of New York PressState University of New York PressThe State University of New York Press , is a university press and a Center for Scholarly Communication. The Press is part of the State University of New York system and is located in Albany, New York.- History :...
, 2002 ISBN 9780791455517
- Chapter, "Barry Unsworth's Morality Play"
Adaptation
The novel was adapted for the screen in 2003, as The Reckoning, directed by Paul McGuiganPaul McGuigan (filmmaker)
Paul McGuigan is a film director, best known for directing films such as Lucky Number Slevin and Push. He has also directed episodes of Sherlock and Monroe.-Filmography:-Awards:...
and starring Paul Bettany
Paul Bettany
Paul Bettany is an English actor. He has appeared in a wide variety of films, including A Knight's Tale, A Beautiful Mind, and The Da Vinci Code...
and Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe is an American film, stage, and voice actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group...
.