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This edition is based upon a new transcription of The Castle of Perseverance, now published with a gloss, notes, glossary, and an introduction, to enable classroom study of this classic morality play. The Castle of Perseverance, like the other surviving morality plays, deals allegorically with the life of man, his struggle against temptation and sin, and his hope of final redemption. The play begins before Mankind's birth and concludes with his salvation after death, presented as a close call, and features both the traditional enemies of Mankind, the World, the Flesh and the Devil, as well as his two advisors, the Good Angel and the Bad Angel. Students of Middle English at all levels will find this edition useful in their studies of medieval morality plays.

The earliest complete morality play in English, The Castle of Perseverance depicts the culture of medieval East Anglia, a region once known for its production of artistic objects. Discussing the spectator experience of this famed play, Young argues that vision is the organizing principle that informs this play's staging, structure, and narrative.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

With the METS editions of Everyman (2008), Mankind (2010), and The Castle of Perseverance (2010), this volume completes the presentation of the five surviving Middle English morality plays. In addition to the texts of The Pride of Life (the earliest of the surviving morality plays) and Wisdom (which is unusual for the size of its cast and the fact that it survives in multiple copies), Klausner's edition includes two appendices which provide the texts of primary sources for the two plays as well as appropriate music (liturgical music, song, and dances) which may have accompanied performances, especially Wisdom.

The drama of the English Middle Ages is perennially popular with students and theatre audiences alike, and this is an updated edition of a book which has established itself as a standard guide to the field. The Cambridge Companion to Medieval English Theatre, second edition continues to provide an authoritative introduction and an up-to-date, illustrated guide to the mystery cycles, morality drama and saints' plays which flourished from the late fourteenth to the mid-sixteenth centuries. The book emphasises regional diversity in the period and engages with the literary and particularly the theatrical values of the plays. Existing chapters have been revised and updated where necessary, and there are three entirely new chapters, including one on the cultural significance of early drama. A thoroughly revised reference section includes a guide to scholarship and criticism, an enlarged classified bibliography and a chronological table.