The York Play of the Crucifixion
I have to begin by saying that I greatly enjoyed Shaina's presentation and the video Dr. Hall showed on Thursday. Both of these refreshed my memory and led me to a greater understanding of the mystery play genre in general, and I feel like my appreciation of this particular York play has deepened because of that understanding.
So, Middle English . . . here we are. Yikes. :) I realized very quickly that these readings are going to be much more challenging than I first expected, but I have great hope that as we immerse ourselves in the language, they will get easier.
My comments about the York play will be brief (I hope). I found it interesting that although the subject of the play is the Crucifixion, Jesus seems to be almost a marginal character. The soldiers' dialogue and action are the focal point--they are the entertainment. We "learn" what we learn about the Crucifixion not through Jesus' perspective or a perspective that sympathizes with Him but through the perspective of outsiders who seem to care more about the political implications of their involvement in His crucifixion than they do about the actual event. Where is the theological depth? If this play was constructed to teach the masses the biblical story, shouldn't it have contained more? The only truly moving moment is when Jesus speaks of His affliction and asks the Father to forgive the unknowing soldiers--and it almost seems out of place from the rest of the dialogue. Then again, can you imagine us all standing there on the streets in York around 1415, watching the drama unfold as the wagons rolled by? We wouldn't have been highly educated, most likely, so we probably would have needed all of the comic relief just to stay interested. And with all the other plays in the cycle, I suppose we would have gotten our share of the "real" story.
But still. . . . It was funny, and I appreciated its historical/literary significance, but I couldn't help feeling that it was somewhat lacking in quality. That's my take on it, anyway. What do you think?
So, Middle English . . . here we are. Yikes. :) I realized very quickly that these readings are going to be much more challenging than I first expected, but I have great hope that as we immerse ourselves in the language, they will get easier.
My comments about the York play will be brief (I hope). I found it interesting that although the subject of the play is the Crucifixion, Jesus seems to be almost a marginal character. The soldiers' dialogue and action are the focal point--they are the entertainment. We "learn" what we learn about the Crucifixion not through Jesus' perspective or a perspective that sympathizes with Him but through the perspective of outsiders who seem to care more about the political implications of their involvement in His crucifixion than they do about the actual event. Where is the theological depth? If this play was constructed to teach the masses the biblical story, shouldn't it have contained more? The only truly moving moment is when Jesus speaks of His affliction and asks the Father to forgive the unknowing soldiers--and it almost seems out of place from the rest of the dialogue. Then again, can you imagine us all standing there on the streets in York around 1415, watching the drama unfold as the wagons rolled by? We wouldn't have been highly educated, most likely, so we probably would have needed all of the comic relief just to stay interested. And with all the other plays in the cycle, I suppose we would have gotten our share of the "real" story.
But still. . . . It was funny, and I appreciated its historical/literary significance, but I couldn't help feeling that it was somewhat lacking in quality. That's my take on it, anyway. What do you think?
posted by Jana Swartwood | 2:02 PM
4 Comments:
I agree that it seems odd that the play is more "about" the soldiers and their difficulties, their arguing and griping, their rough humor and of course, what they "do" rather than what Jesus is "doing" for the world. I wonder, however, if part of the intent was for the viewer - while being entertained - to put himself or herself in the place of the soldiers who are crucifying Jesus. Perhaps the purpose is not to focus on what Jesus is accomplishing, except by the few references made by Him and by the solders, but rather to focus on what it means to crucify the Son of God. I think that the viewer is allowed to "feel" what it means to be the common person who has sent Jesus to the cross - or in this instance, taken him there and made sure the work is done. The contrast between the common language of the soldiers, their determination to "get the job done," and their mockery of Him with the few words that Jesus speaks, forgiving them for "not knowing what they do" actually places more emphasis on the reason he is there. The viewers would most likely relate to the hard "work" of carrying out the crucifixion and would see themselves as the soldiers. And with Jesus saying so little, everything He does say would command greater attention. I have to admit, I laughed some at the exclamations of the effort they were putting in and that at least once, they had to be reminded to stop "just talking" and get with it!
I think we discussed this in class, but I have to admit that the paradox of the soldiers struggle to lift the cross because of its heaviness has stayed in my mind. It carries a powerful message. The observation I most enjoyed was the idea that since Jesus was carrying the sins of the world, perhaps it was this which caused his cross to be such a burden to the soldiers. One must keep in mind these were not only the sins of the current world, but also of the world past and the world to come. The soldier's struggle is comedic, to be sure; still, I can't help but ponder the irony of it all. It brings to my mind the story of the man who complains about the weight of his own cross. When faced with decision to choose another, he chooses the smallest he can see and learns that he has chosen his own burden to bear again. The burden of oneself may not be much to carry, yet the burden of another can see like an insurmountable weight. Imagine the weight of the burdens of every created thing. I would like to think that as the real soldiers lifted Jesus, they might have actually experienced this heaviness. I cannot imagine that anyone who was directly involved in the crucifixion of Jesus could have walked away unaffected.
I also think that it is nice to look at the reality of the situation. I realize it was a phenomenal, supernatural event; but as Dr. Hall mentioned in class, this was everyday work for the soldiers. It gives me a feeling of connectedness to the soldiers. I think sometimes we forget that while we are going about our daily tasks, we might be contributing to something supernatural. It is awesome to think that while we are performing the ordinary, God may be using that to create the extraordinary.
As for the play itself, I sincerely enjoyed reading it out loud. Middle English is so fun! I hope I am speaking it in my everyday conversation by the end of the semester.
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