While theatre (almost) came to a stand still during Medieval Times, religious vernacular drama, about biblical figures or events, survived – partly because much of this religious drama was being produced theatrically within the confines of the church. Out of this drama, came morality plays. This type of drama, often considered “less” religious and “more” humanistic (from a socially and cultural point of view, because it taught moral lessons to society), has had a significant and lasting impact on theatre and culture in the western world.
Everyman remains the most popular example of a morality play. After reading the play (a link can be found below and under Readings/Links) and doing some additional research on its themes, storyline and characters, your skills of creative writing will now be employed.
(1) rewrite and compose a contemporary version of the Everyman story/morality play in one of the following forms: a children’s story book, a fairy tale, or a modern short story.
(2) this new interpretation could include (but not be limited by) the following:
contemporary images and/or moral concerns
personification and interaction of vices and/or virtues
themes or lessons for a modern day Everyperson
Should you choose to make it a written essay, this assignment should be typed and proofread (3-5 pages in length). The final choice of how this assignment will be presented (i.e. a written essay, an article or short story, a blog) is strictly up to you. Think originality and creativity. Some additional research may be needed (remember to document your sources in a bibliography). Early submissions are always accepted.
Everyman text – http://www.christian-history.org/everyman.html
