Sacred staging: Dramatic magic in the medieval mass

Abstract

This essay explores the dramatic elements of the medieval Mass, examining how this ritual functioned as a staged performance deliberately intended to provoke a response in its congregation, which, in dramatic terms, can be considered as its audience. An ongoing concern throughout the Middle Ages was the involvement of the (primarily English-speaking) congregation in the (Latin) prayers and action of the Mass, as well as how the congregation’s response to the mass might be shaped. In this essay, I investigate how the actions of the priest performing the Mass might be seen to have clear parallels with the performance of an actor, just as the Mass itself parallels the Passion sequence of the York mystery plays. Moving on to church architecture, which functioned as a ‘playing space’ for the Mass, I then explore how their its deliberately exploited the use of space, light, and sound to capture and hold the attention of an audience. Finally, I consider the significance of the Lay Folks Mass Book, a text designed to help medieval audiences navigate the action of the Mass by following visual and aural cues from the priest. As a whole, the essay elucidates how the medieval Mass functioned as a staged performance deliberately intended to provoke a response in its audience, and how it sought to shape the nature of that response.