Vision and Audience in Medieval Drama - (New Middle Ages) by Andrea Louise Young (Hardcover)

About the Book

"This book presents a re-evaluation of The Castle of Perseverance, the longest and earliest complete morality play in English. It argues that vision - as a physical, moral, and cognitive process - is the organizing principle that informs this play's staging, structure and narrative, and its constantly shifting actor/audience relationships. Theories such as intromission and extramission, and their associated power shifts, are placed alongside a re-interpretation of the famous stage plan, approaching the text in terms of spectator experience. The writings of Augustine, Grosseteste, and Peter of Limoges are also explored. This study will take the reader through the play in the same way that it unfolds for the audience members, in keeping with the audience experience approach. The visual culture of East Anglia, and its textiles in particular, are also identified as central to the play's moral and dramatic work and the battle at the center of the play. "--

Book Synopsis

The earliest complete morality play in English, The Castle of Perseverance depicts the culture of medieval East Anglia, a region once known for its production of artistic objects. Discussing the spectator experience of this famed play, Young argues that vision is the organizing principle that informs this play's staging, structure, and narrative.

Review Quotes

"While recovering the experiences of individual spectators from this period is virtually impossible, Young's book draws on a wide range of evidence - the play text itself, the manuscript's staging diagram, modern 'historical' performances and the reviews they attracted, modern critical theory, practical experimentation, medieval art, and texts on optics and the theology of vision - to construct the dynamic of spectatorship which the play exploits. This is an imaginative and sustained piece of analysis, underpinned by extensive reading." - John J McGavin, Professor of English, University of Southampton, UK

About the Author

Andrea Young is Lecturer at the University of Liverpool Continuing Education program.