Castle+of+Perserverence

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//The Castell of Perseverance//
//The Castell of Perseverance// comes in at roughly 3649 lines, quite long for a morality play, an exhaustive compendium of common morality features. There is the battle between vice and virtue, the mixing of allegorical and diabolical figures, and the enactment of [|Death] and Judgment.[|[4]] It is one of the oldest and one of the best known of all morality plays and is highly significant in the history of English theater.

The plot of the drama begins with humankind's enemies: The World, The [|Devil], and the Flesh, declaring the nature and scope of their power. With this background, a character called Mankind appears, Good and Bad [|Angels] on either side. Mankind is a new-born child about to begin his progress through "the ages of man."[|[4]] His first sin is committed by becoming a servant of the World, who sends him to Avarice and the other Deadly Sins. When Penance pierces him with a lance, he confesses to Shrift; he then receives [|absolution] and enters the Castle of Perseverance. Mankind's enemies, however, summon the Sins to a [|siege] of the castle. The Virtues succeed in opposing and repelling six of the Sins, but Avarice succeeds in enticing the aging Mankind back to worldly goods. Then, the coming of Death causes Mankind to repent. Mankind realizes that all of his worldly possessions will go on to an [|heir]. He dies calling on God for mercy.

The Soul approaches the body and cries again for mercy, until he is carried off to [|Hell] by the Bad Angel. Then, the Four Daughters debate Mankind's case—after which, [|God] rescues him.[|[4]] The allegory, again, is clear in this tale, as [|Sin] and worldly temptations lead one to hell.