Originally published in 1974, this book examines in detail some of the finest plays from the great cycles of York, Wakefield and Chester. By considering the plays as plays rather than literary relics of a past age, he throws new light both on their aims and intentions as drama and on the intriguing problems of stage techniques. The major morality plays of the period are discussed not only for the interest of their content but for their effectiveness as theatre. Throughout the book the author stresses the richness and strength of a drama which, despite its small corpus of plays, survived as popular drama for several hundred years.

Stanley J. Kahrl was Professor of English at Ohio State University.