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925
Quem Quareritis
"Quem Quareritis" translates to "Whom are you Seeking?" According to the "Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature," this three-line trope was first used at the beginning of opening services of Mass for Easter during the early 10th century. The Whom do you Seek (Quem-Quaeritis) Easter trope, dating from ca. 925, is an example of performing the events surround Christ's empty grave.(Brockett al.) -
935
Hrosvitha
Hrosvitha was the first female dramatist. She had written several plays, including, "Pafnutius," "Dulcitius," "Gallicanus," "Abraham," "Callimachus," and "Sapientia," according to (Brockett et. al). She is considered the first female writer from the German Lands, the first female historian, the first person since antiquity to write dramas in the Latin West(Ives 2000). -
963
Æthelwold of Winchester
King Edgar seated between St. Æthelwold, Bishop of Winchester, and St. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury. From an eleventh-century manuscript of the Regularis Concordia. Æthelwold of Winchester was Bishop of Winchester from 963 to 984 and one of the leaders of the tenth-century monastic reform movement in Anglo-Saxon England(Wikipedia). -
1155
Oro Virtutum by Hildegard of Bingen
Arguably the oldest surviving morality play and an early example of liturgical drama, her play Oro Virtutum is the struggle for the human Soul between Virtues and the Devil. -
1200
The play of adam
The Play of Adam at the Cloisters (2016). Christian Wilson as Adam, Allie Wessel as The Devil. Directed by Kyle A. Thomas. The Play of Adam is a twelfth-century liturgical drama written in the Anglo Norman dialect of Medieval French. It is a dramatic representation of the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve, the story of Cain and Abel, and a series of prophets including Isaiah and Daniel(Studer 1928). -
1200
Dramas outside the Church
Performance of religious plays outside of the church began sometime in the 12th century through a traditionally accepted process of merging shorter dramas into longer plays. According to "Medieval Theatre," written by the "Northern Virginia Community College," there were two main stages that dramas took place. These were called the "Mansions," which were small scenic structures to indicate location, and "Platea" which is the general acting area (Eric W. Trumbull). -
1200
Sponsus et Sponsa
Sponsus et Sponsa, On the Song of Songs and Other Writings by Honorius Augustodunensis, Germany.
Sponsus is a medieval Latin and Occitan dramatic treatment of Jesus' parable of the ten virgins. A liturgical play designed for Easter Vigil, it was composed probably in Gascony or western Languedoc in the mid-eleventh century. Its scriptural basis is found in the Gospel of Matthew (25:1–13).(Encyclopedia Britannica) -
1245
Le Miracle de Théophile
"Le Miracle de Théophile" was a religious drama written by Rutebeuf in the year 1245. According to "Britannica," this drama tells the story of a priest who sells his soul to the devil and is saved by the Virgin.(Encyclopedia Britannica) -
1282
Jeu de Robin et Marion by Adam de la Halle
The story is a dramatization of a type of medieval French song called a pastourelle, a song that usually depicts a knight approaching a shepherdess with desires of romance. The story goes that Marion, a shepherdess, is approached by a persistent knight who proposes marriage to her. -
1300
The Interlude of the Student and the Girl
The Interlude of the Student and the Girl (Latin: Interludium de clerico et puella) is one of the earliest known secular plays in English, first performed c. 1300.(Encyclopedia Britannica) -
1440
The Resurrection
Master of the Osservanza
The Resurrection, ca. between 1440 and 1445
Poetic in conception and innovative in composition, this painting is a masterpiece of Sienese fifteenth-century painting. In this scene, the still sleepy soldiers are amazed to see the risen Christ float gloriously above the sealed sarcophagus, holding the banner of victory and the olive branch of peace. The extensive landscape is both naturalistic and symbolic: the Resurrection.(Britanica) -
1495
Everyman
"Everyman" was produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company. According to Brockett, "Everyman" was "directed by Kathryn Hunter and Marcello Magni," (Brockett et. al). It was first published in England in the early sixteenth century. According to "Encyclopedia," "this English play is now thought to be based on an early Dutch play, "Elckerlijc," published in 1495. -
1498
Pieta
"Pieta" was sculpted by Michelangelo in 1498. According to, Analysis of the Art of Renaissance Italy. The scene of the Pieta shows the Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Christ after his crucifixion, death, and removal from the cross, but before he was placed in the tomb. -
1500
The Castle of Perseverance
The Castle of Perseverance is a c. 15th-century morality play and the earliest known full-length vernacular play in existence. Along with Mankind and Wisdom, The Castle of Perseverance is preserved in the Macro Manuscript that is now housed in the Folger Shakespeare Library. The Castle of Perseverance depicts mankind's progress from birth to death(Wikipedia). -
1500
The Second Shepherds' Play
The shepherds realize that the babe in the cradle is actually a sheep. Players of St Peter, London (2005).
The Second Shepherds' Play is a famous medieval mystery play which is contained in the manuscript HM1, the unique manuscript of the Wakefield Cycle. These plays are also referred to as the Towneley Plays.(Encyclopedia Britannica) -
1502
Gil Vicente
Gil Vincente was a famous chief dramatist of Portugal during the early 1500s. According to "Britannica," "His first known work was produced June 7, 1502, on the occasion of the birth of the future John III." This was a short play titled, "Monológo del vaquero" Meaning, "The Herdsman’s Monologue," which was presented in Castilian in the apartment of Queen Maria. Vincente then went on to release several other famous works before his death in 1536.(Wikipedia)