A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 02

In Short

This collection gathers several foundational "interludes"—early English moral plays from the mid-sixteenth century. These pieces function as dramatic sermons, using personified abstractions like Charity, Youth, Hypocrisy, and Wit to map the human experience of temptation, moral decay, and eventual repentance. While they serve a didactic purpose, the plays reveal a surprising amount of humor, earthy language, and narrative energy. They remain vital historical artifacts that capture the transition from medieval religious drama to the more secular, character-driven theater that would flourish in the coming Elizabethan age.

The Story

The moral landscape of these plays is consistently defined by the vulnerability of the young. In The Interlude of Youth, the central figure, Youth, begins in a state of innocence but is quickly drawn into the orbit of Riot and Pride. Despite the warnings of Charity and Humility, Youth embraces a life of worldly folly. However, the narrative arc dictates that no soul is beyond recovery; through the intervention of divine grace and the awakening of his own conscience, Youth abandons his companions, repents of his sins, and finds his way back to the path of righteousness.

Lusty Juventus presents a similar trajectory. Juventus, a young man prone to vice, is targeted by Sathan the Devil and his agent, Hypocrisy. Through a series of deceptive friendships—most notably with Fellowship and the aptly named "Abhominable Living"—Juventus is lured into a life of carnal pleasure and religious indifference. The play moves through his degradation before culminating in his confrontation with Knowledge and Good Counsel, who force him to recognize the "broad and pleasant" path to hell. His final act is one of total submission to God's mercy, illustrating the play's core conviction that repentance is possible even for the most wayward heart.

Jack Juggler provides a shift in tone, functioning as a farce based on the Plautine model of mistaken identity. Jenkin Careaway, a servant, is bullied and beaten by Jack Juggler, who happens to look exactly like him. The humor derives from Careaway’s confusion as he tries to explain his own beating to his master, struggling to comprehend how he could have been assaulted by himself. While less overtly theological than the other pieces, it shares the preoccupation with the fragility of the self.

The History of Jacob and Esau dramatizes the biblical narrative of the two brothers. Here, the arc focuses on the interplay of predestination and individual agency. Rebecca, favoring Jacob, orchestrates a plan to ensure he receives his father Isaac’s blessing, despite Esau’s status as the firstborn. The story follows Jacob’s internal struggle—his reluctance to deceive his father—and the eventual success of the ruse. The resolution reinforces the divine plan, framing the deception not as a moral failing but as the fulfillment of a heavenly decree.

Finally, The Marriage of Wit and Science and The Disobedient Child explore the social dimensions of morality. In the former, Wit undergoes a grueling quest to win the hand of Science, requiring him to overcome the monster Tediousness through labor and study. In the latter, a headstrong son rejects his father’s counsel to pursue a disastrous marriage, ultimately finding himself abandoned and impoverished. Each narrative concludes with the protagonist’s recognition of his errors, confirming the order of the moral universe.

How It Unfolds

The call to virtue The plays frequently open with a prologue or an arrival where a young, naive protagonist is introduced to the audience. He is immediately confronted by figures representing divine guidance, who provide a blueprint for the life he ought to lead.

The descent into temptation Vice enters, often disguised as friendship or "jollity," to lure the protagonist away from his path. The dialogue shifts from measured, earnest tones to chaotic, fast-paced exchanges filled with the colorful vernacular of the street.

The moment of crisis The protagonist, having fully embraced a life of folly, suffers a significant reversal of fortune. Whether through physical beating, loss of status, or spiritual exhaustion, he is forced to confront the emptiness of his choices.

The intervention of grace A figure of authority—or a personified virtue—arrives to offer a way out of the suffering. The protagonist engages in a process of confession, shedding his false companions and rejecting his former desires.

The final reconciliation The drama concludes with the restoration of the protagonist to a state of grace or social harmony. The entire cast often joins in a final prayer or address to the audience, reinforcing the moral lesson and grounding the play in the community.

The People

The characters in these plays are rarely individuals in the modern sense; they are archetypes designed to embody human impulses. Youth and Lusty Juventus represent the universal susceptibility of the young, serving as blank slates upon which the struggle between heaven and hell is fought. They are characterized by a restless energy that makes them easily swayed by the cunning of Hypocrisy or the brashness of Riot.

Hypocrisy is the most effective antagonist, possessing a chameleon-like ability to adopt the language of friendship to lead others astray. In contrast, figures like Good Counsel and Knowledge provide the steady, if occasionally stern, ballast needed to navigate the world. Isaac and Rebecca in the history of Jacob and Esau represent the intersection of human ambition and divine providence; they are not merely parents but agents of a larger narrative, struggling with the weight of their roles.

Jenkin Careaway is a rare figure of genuine comedy, serving as the victim of a world he cannot comprehend. His desire for simple comfort is constantly disrupted by the malice of others. Finally, the personifications—Charity, Humility, and Tediousness—do not change; they exist as constants. They provide the measuring stick against which the human protagonists are judged, their static nature emphasizing the unchanging standards of the world these plays depict.

In Its Own Voice

The following lines from Lusty Juventus describe the protagonist's realization that his path has led him away from grace:

Broad and pleasant is the path which leadeth unto pain, But unto eternal life full narrow is the way.

In The Interlude of Youth, the character Charity offers this guidance to the wayward youth:

Now thou must forsake Pride, And all Riot set aside.

Finally, in The Marriage of Wit and Science, the character Nature explains the necessity of labor to achieve wisdom:

The worthiest things are won with pain in tract of time always.

What It's Really About

These plays are concerned with the fragility of human resolve. They operate on the premise that man is naturally prone to vice, and that only through the constant, active cultivation of knowledge and grace can he resist the "subtle snares" of the world. The central question is how one maintains a virtuous life in a society designed to distract and degrade. They ask: if the path to destruction is "broad and pleasant," how does one find the strength to choose the "narrow" way? The plays argue that this is not a solitary endeavor but one that requires the rejection of "wicked company" and a reliance on the wisdom of the past. It is an exploration of the tension between human desire and the strictures of moral law.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the roots of English literature or have an interest in the history of ideas will find this collection rewarding. It offers a window into a worldview where every action—from a servant's quarrel to a son's disobedience—was understood as part of a grander, cosmic struggle. The language, often archaic and dotted with the "black-letter" rhythms of the sixteenth century, may require patience, but it is deeply expressive and full of a raw, unvarnished energy.

You will encounter attitudes regarding gender and authority that are firmly rooted in the period, which can be jarring to a modern sensibility. Yet, the plays are surprisingly accessible. The humor in Jack Juggler remains effective, and the anxieties expressed by the young protagonists—about their future, their independence, and the difficulty of choosing the right path—are as pertinent now as they were five centuries ago. For those willing to set aside the demand for psychological realism, these plays offer something more structural: a clear, vivid map of the human condition. They remind us that the struggle to define oneself against the backdrop of societal pressure is the original, timeless drama.