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Staging Disorder: Charivari in the "N-Town" Cycle

The "N-Town" cycle's "Trial of Mary and Joseph" has several problematic passages, not the least of which is the lengthy speech delivered by Den the Summoner at the beginning of the play. The author argues that Den's list of alliterative names is carefully chosen to enum...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Comparative drama 2001-07, Vol.35 (2), p.145-161
Main Author: Moll, Richard J.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The "N-Town" cycle's "Trial of Mary and Joseph" has several problematic passages, not the least of which is the lengthy speech delivered by Den the Summoner at the beginning of the play. The author argues that Den's list of alliterative names is carefully chosen to enumerate the members of a riding, and that some of the names were represented by people on stage. This interpretation of the Summoner's speech will also clarify several other problematic passages in the "Trial." A riding is a form of charivari: social pressure exerted on a household in the form of a loud demonstration. It is this loud demonstration of social outrage which forms the backdrop to "The Trial of Mary and Joseph," not only in atmosphere, but in the actual staging of the play.
ISSN:0010-4078
1936-1637
1936-1637
DOI:10.1353/cdr.2001.0012