Can you create your own?
To help you get started, a modern-spelling script of this play can be downloaded by clicking here. *** The twenty-second play from the York Corpus Christi Plays follows on from Jesus's baptism in the desert. As in the Fall of Man, here Lucifer takes on a commanding presence from the start, parting the gathered crowd and laying out his grievances. He begins a test of Jesus's divinity- unsure whether this is God's son. Jesus refuses to be tempted either into sin, or into rashly revealing his divine nature. The play demands a pinnacle- a mountain top or other vantage point- and it is unclear how Jesus and Lucifer moved between these. It is possible that the Smiths responsible for this play were well-placed to create a sturdy structure on their waggon. In modern performances, the Temptation is often used to reintroduce Lucifer, setting up this rivalry and the start of Jesus's ministry. The play is based on Matthew 4:1-11. *** The original script, in 15th Century Middle English, can be found here, courtesy of Prof. Clifford Davidson and the University of Rochester's TEAMS Middle English Text Series. |
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