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Castle Play Morality Perseverance Is Perseverance Rhyming Stanzas Performed

Front the Castle of Perseverance
Back a morality play
1405-25
3500 of rhyming stanzas
the castle was performed in the round, with the castle in the center and various scaffolds on the circumstances
the play describes the competition between the forces of good and evil for the soul of humankind
death proves the transitoriness of worldly wealth
defended at the throne of God by mercy and justice , human genus is admitted to heaven and the play ends with a Te Teum
The Castle of Perseverance is a c. 15th century morality play and the earliest known full-length (3,649 lines) vernacular play in existence. Along with Mankind and Wisdom, The Castle of Perseverance is preserved in the Macro Manuscript (named after its owner Cox Macro) that is now housed in the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. The Castle of Perseverance contains nearly all of the themes found in other morality plays, but it is especially important (and unusual) because a stage drawing is included, which may suggest theatre in the round.

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