Primarily, "The Crucifixion" from the York Cycle seems to be about objects. In this sense, I don't see much more in the text than was in the brief introduction. Continuously, the soldiers that are nailing Christ to the cross are far more interesting in the objects involved in their trade, such as the pre-bored holes on the cross and the nails themselves. Furthermore, as the introduction indicates, the soldiers actually view Christ primarily as an object of their labor. There is far more discussion between them of how to line up the bones and sinews to the proper nail locations on the cross than of Christ himself, who they only address twice in the play. For the soldiers, the Crucifixion is merely a job that needs to be performed with the tools of their trade like any other.
This only highlights what I find most odd about this play: the fact that it was sponsored by the "Pynners and Paynters." As with other plays, the guild sponsoring could use the production of the play as a way to advertise their goods, and the introduction indicates that the Pynners, who produced nails and wire, would be able to use their wares extensively in a production of the Crucifixion. Yet, the very idea that seeing nails used to crucify Christ would make one desirous of purchasing said nails seems quite odd. I can't help but think of this in a relatively modern setting, perhaps among the heavy commercialization of 50s and 60s television: "Use Johnson Nails. They're good enough to torture our Lord and Savior, so they're plenty good for that new siding job!" I think this may be part and parcel with a different approach to this material, especially in the cultural event that mystery play cycles involved, but this instance strikes me as rather odd.
The Pinners' and Painters' guild probably had their own chapel with its own priest, decorated with their own treasures and legacies. Many of them probably stopped by that chapel nearly every morning on their way to work or to the market. There they would see their Lord in the form of the host lifted up by the priest. Surrounded as they were by both the living and the dead (in the form of bequests and dedications) of their guild, the mystery must have felt as if it were manifesting amidst the guild itself.
ReplyDeleteIn their pageant, the same sense of manifestation exists. The soldiers go about their work because it is work, if they are guild actors, it was work like they did every day. Yet Christ manifests in that work, as he does amid their chapel, almost without their notice.
That adds an interesting perspective on the play. I think this is another knee jerk reaction of mine, and possibly because it was the fifth mystery play in a single sitting that I'd read, but I'll have to think about this more from that perspective.
ReplyDeleteCase, this is pretty much why I tagged you specifically.