John Heywood’s Play of the Weather follows Boccaccio’s Corbaccio in using mundane figures for women’s corporeality to undermine gyno-idolatry … Read the post natural and mechanical figures against gyno-idolatry
The author rises from the dead to bring literature back to life, especially medieval literature. Rejoice! I say it again, rejoice! … Read the post death of the author defeated: Easter drama of imagination
In medieval Easter plays and resurrection poems, harrowing of Hell starts with repentance. Then Jesus frees captive souls and renews the earth. … Read the post Christian hope for release from Hell implies repentance
In the Carmina Burana‘s Christmas play, an angel and a devil compete to persuade shepherds about a virgin mother and baby in a manger. Angelic singing wins! … Read the post shepherds, angel, and devil converse about Jesus’s birth
In medieval biblical plays, Noah’s wife was ungrateful, spiteful, and vicious. Yet, obeying God’s command, the blameless Noah saved her from the flood. … Read the post Noah’s wife saved from flood: blame Bible, not blameless Noah