The staging of a morality play
Navigation:
From the manuscript of The Castle of Perseverance
(c. 1400).
By permission of the Folger Shakespeare Library.
The Castle of Perseverance, a medieval morality play written around 1425, survives in a 3700 line manuscript, complete with stage directions, together with an accompanying plan for staging in the open air.
- South is at the top of the diagram.
- The two concentric circles border the main playing area.
- In the centre of this area is a castle raised on legs, with a bed below it.
The original writing is difficult to decipher: click to see what the instructions are.