ENGL 325: Medieval Drama
First Exam Review

Material for which you are responsible:
Tydemann essay (ch. 1 of Cambridge Companion to Medieval English Drama), on reserve
    Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free program, to read this file. You can download it from
     http://www.adobe.com/acrobat.
Cawley introduction
Quem quaeritis handouts
Banns handout
Quick Reference Guide handout
All the pageants on the syllabus through 2/8 (all in Cawley)
The plays viewed in class (Quem quaeritis, Abraham & Isaac, The Purification & Doctors)

Format of the exam: about half in short answer/matching questions and the other half in two short essay questions

Likely targets for short answer/matching questions: terminology (e.g. Atypology@, Acharacterization@); matching of figures, episodes, or significant details with the appropriate play (e.g. AIn which play is does a woman offer to do the cooking?@), historical dates and details.

Likely targets for essays: distinctions between liturgical plays and secular pageants, use of a theme, character, or device in several pageants, contrasts between 2 pageants (e.g. presentation of women, kind of dialogue, kind of verse forms), technical questions (e.g. staging).

Best ways to impress me: Use concrete and specific examples, have a thesis and clear organization with transitions in your essays, be reasonably close on the spelling of names, take a minute to read over your answers and adjust grammar and punctuation.

Essay questions from last time:

Discuss the use of typology in the Old Testament mystery pageants
Compare and contrast the figures of Abraham and Noah.
Compare and contrast a play staged in a church for a religious audience and a pageant staged on a pageant wagon for a secular audience. Consider the purpose of doing the play, the kinds of acting and staging, the kinds of language, etc. Use specific examples.
Based on the performances you have seen, what sorts of dramatic elements or tools did medieval actors rely on to create their characters?