Dramatic images of man in medieval drama and Shakespeare

Abstract

The main preoccupation of my paper is the continuity of theatrical concepts between medieval morality plays and some of Shakespeare’s plays, and, in particular the significance and use of images of Man. The plays considered are The Castle of Perseverance, Mankind, Wisdom, The World and the Child and L’Omme Pecheur; and Richard II, Hamlet and King Lear. In the medieval group Man is seen as weak, vulnerable and sinful with a special affinity with the ambivalent figure of the World. In contrast there is a paradoxical sense of Man’s beauty and greatness, and his nearness to God. Though Shakespeare’s theatrical and cultural environment was different, I have tried to show that many aspects of the medieval view survive in Shakespeare’s work. This is seen in both verbal images and in the visual aspects of stage presentation. Two other interests also find a place in this study: the medieval concern with allegory, and the importance of the visual appearance of some aspects in Shakespeare.