The Circulation of Power in Medieval Biblical Drama : Theaters of Authority

A literary reading informed by the recent temporal turn in Queer Theory, this book analyzes medieval Biblical drama for themes representing modes of power such as the body, politics, and law. Revitalizing the discussions on medieval drama, Sturges asserts that these dramas were often intended not to teach morality but to resist Christian authority. Front Matter....Pages i-xvi Introduction: Power, History, Drama....Pages 1-19 The Body: Bare Life in the Passion Plays....Pages 21-31 Things: Objects and Agency in the Trial and Crucifixion Plays....Pages 33-50 Gender/Politics: Motherhood in the Innocents Plays and the Planctus Mariae....Pages 51-79 Economics: Money, Labor, and Ideology in Four Towneley Plays....Pages 81-96 Law: Obligation and Legal Parody in the Cain and Abel Plays....Pages 97-117 Conclusion: The Authority of the Audience....Pages 119-140 Back Matter....Pages 141-230 Cover 1 Title 10 Copyright 11 Contents 14 Preface 15 1. Introduction: Power, History, Drama 17 2. The Body: Bare Life in the Passion Plays 36 3. Things: Objects and Agency in the Trial and Crucifixion Plays 47 4. Gender/Politics: Motherhood in the Innocents Plays and the Planctus Mariae 65 5. Economics: Money, Labor, and Ideology in Four Towneley Plays 94 6. Law: Obligation and Legal Parody in the Cain and Abel Plays 110 7. Conclusion: The Authority of the Audience 131 Notes 153 Works Cited 202 Index 223 Machine generated contents note: 1. Introduction: Power, History, Drama 2. The Body: Bare Life in the Passion Plays 3. Things: Objects and Agency in the Trial and Crucifixion Plays 4. Gender/Politics: Resistant Motherhood in the Innocents Plays and the Planctus Mariae 5. Economics: Money, Labor, and Ideology in the Wakefield Master's Plays 6. Law: Obligation and Legal Parody in the Cain and Abel Plays 7. Theater: Audience and Authority. "This book investigates various modes of resistance to authority found in medieval Biblical drama. It concerns the ways in which the dissemination of power throughout culture is represented in these plays: the human body, objects, gender, politics, economics, law, and theater itself, as well as religion, are all registers in which such resistance may be enacted"-- Provided by publisher