Synopsis
One of the most interactive and theatrically sophisticated early English plays, the fifteenth-century Middle English morality play Mankind balances and complicates a conventional allegory of vice and virtue with a thematic emphasis on language. Associated with Lent and the pre-Lenten season of Carnival, it dramatizes a verbal battle waged for Mankind’s soul: it pits the stately, Latinate preaching of Mercy, who embodies Lent’s emphasis on penitence, confession, and piety, against the rhetorical tricks of the demon Titivillus and jokes, derision, and vulgarity from the four vices of worldly temptation, representing carnival themes of revelry, trickery, and social upheaval. Each side addresses the audience throughout the play, implicating them in their machinations for or against Mankind. Engaging with the late-medieval religious conflict between English-language Lollardy and a Catholic orthodoxy built on Latinate authority, Mankind demands that its audience distinguishes between virtuous and vicious uses of language, whether in Latin or English.
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About the Authors
Kathleen Ashley is Professor Emerita of English at the University of Southern Maine. Her research interests include medieval literature, autobiography studies, African-American literature, cultural theory, and contemporary women writers.
Gerard P. NeCastro is a Professor of English at the University of Maine at Machias. His research interests include early Middle English drama, Chaucer, and healing in the Middle Ages. He is the founder and current secretary of Medica: The Society for the Study of Healing in the Middle Ages.
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Mankind (Middle English Texts Series (Mets))
Published by
Medieval Institute Publications, 2010
ISBN 10: 1580441408
ISBN 13: 9781580441407
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Mankind (Middle English Texts Series (Mets))
Published by
Medieval Institute Publications, 2010
ISBN 10: 1580441408
ISBN 13: 9781580441407
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Mankind
Published by
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ISBN 13: 9781580441407
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Mankind
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ISBN 13: 9781580441407
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Mankind
Published by
Medieval Institute Publications, 2010
ISBN 10: 1580441408
ISBN 13: 9781580441407
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Mankind
Published by
Medieval Institute Publications, 2010
ISBN 10: 1580441408
ISBN 13: 9781580441407
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Mankind
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Medieval Institute Publications, US, 2010
ISBN 10: 1580441408
ISBN 13: 9781580441407
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Paperback. Condition: New. One of the most interactive and theatrically sophisticated early English plays, the fifteenth-century Middle English morality play Mankind balances and complicates a conventional allegory of vice and virtue with a thematic emphasis on language. Associated with Lent and the pre-Lenten season of Carnival, it dramatizes a verbal battle waged for Mankind's soul: it pits the stately, Latinate preaching of Mercy, who embodies Lent's emphasis on penitence, confession, and piety, against the rhetorical tricks of the demon Titivillus and jokes, derision, and vulgarity from the four vices of worldly temptation, representing carnival themes of revelry, trickery, and social upheaval. Each side addresses the audience throughout the play, implicating them in their machinations for or against Mankind. Engaging with the late-medieval religious conflict between English-language Lollardy and a Catholic orthodoxy built on Latinate authority, Mankind demands that its audience distinguishes between virtuous and vicious uses of language, whether in Latin or English. Seller Inventory # LU-9781580441407
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Mankind (Paperback)
Published by
Medieval Institute Publications, 2010
ISBN 10: 1580441408
ISBN 13: 9781580441407
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Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Mankind is at once conventional in its adherence to morality and extraordinary in its effervescence and wit. The text is a morality play warning Mankind how it may be led astray by temptation, while simultaneously entertaining the audience with banter between the characters representing vice. In its small-scale staging, with a smaller number of actors and props, it was written for a theater troupe of the kind that foreshadows modern professional English drama. Presented with a gloss, notes, an introduction, and a glossary, this edition of the lively Middle English play is perfect for any level of Middle English instruction and invaluable to those who teach early drama. A morality Middle English play that warns mankind how it may be led astray by temptation, while simultaneously entertaining the audience with banter between the characters representing vice. Presented with a gloss, notes, an introduction, and a glossary, it suitable for those who teach early drama. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781580441407
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Mankind
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Western Michigan Univ Medieval, 2010
ISBN 10: 1580441408
ISBN 13: 9781580441407
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ISBN 10: 1580441408
ISBN 13: 9781580441407
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