Morality Plays or Mortality Plays: Religion in 'Everyman' and 'The Brome Play of Abraham and Isaac' Anonymous College

Religion has long been a source of inspiration for the performing arts. This influence can be seen at all levels of performance throughout history, from church basement productions of the birth of Jesus to the fist of God casting itself down at the end of Cats, to the morality plays. In the plays of Everyman and The Brome Play of Abraham and Isaac, a very clear and specific interpretation of Christianity is presented, and in many ways both of these performances tell the same tale. The portrayals of God and the duties He places on Christians paint a detailed image of how religion was internalized in fifteenth century England. While religion remains a strong source of inspiration, it is evident that Christianity has morphed and changed over the centuries.

The first and most evident similarity between these two works of art is that they are both morality plays, religious dramas that have their main characters overcome some obstacle to portray a lesson in piety and morality under the grace of God. In both the play of Everyman and The Brome Play of Abraham and Isaac, their opening scenes hold a distinct trait often seen in morality plays. Both, after a brief prelude, have none other than God Himself enter to center stage. While it...