Rejecting and Preserving: Bale's Dramatisation of the Baptism of Christ

Abstract

It is likely that John Bale was familiar with existing biblical cycles when he wrote his plays in the 1530s. This article compares his treatment of the Baptism of Christ with the Catholic tradition exemplified by the York, Towneley and N-Town plays, the Passions of Eustache Mercadé and Arnoul Gréban and the Mystères de Lille. Although Bale had come to see the Baptism after his conversion in Protestant terms, this article shows that he sustained traditional elements and considers how he tailored his approach to the political context, in the light of Henry VIII's changing policies in the late 1530s.