The Conflicting Traditions of Portraying the Jewish People in the Chester Mystery Cycle

IF 0.2 0 LITERARY THEORY & CRITICISM

Text Matters-A Journal of Literature Theory and Culture Pub Date : 2018-10-24 DOI:10.1515/texmat-2018-0011

J. Matyjaszczyk

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Abstract The article seeks to analyze the portrayal of the Jews in two plays from the Chester mystery cycle: “Trial and Flagellation” and “The Passion.” The analysis acknowledges that the cycle is a mixture of, and a dialogue between, the universal standpoint emerging from the presentation of the biblical story of humankind and a contemporary perspective, pertaining to the reality of the viewers. Therefore, while pointing to the unique formal and structural uniformity of the cycle, which strengthens the idea of continuity between the Old and the New Covenant and the role of the Israelites in the history of salvation, it also recognizes the potential of the plays to engage in the current stereotypes. The article examines how the Gospel account of Christ’s trial and death is modified through presenting the Jews as torturers, whitewashing the non-Jewish characters, and placing special emphasis on the question of Jewish ignorance. It is demonstrated how different theological and popular stances concerning the Jewish people are merged and reconciled in the Chester representation of the passion of Christ and it is argued that the plays in question retell the biblical story in such a way that the justification for the expulsion of the Jews from England could be derived from it.

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《切斯特之谜》中犹太人形象的冲突传统

摘要本文试图分析切斯特神秘剧《审判与鞭笞》和《受难记》两部剧作对犹太人的刻画。分析承认，这个循环是一种混合物，也是一种对话，从人类圣经故事的呈现中出现的普遍观点和当代观点，与观众的现实有关。因此，在指出这个循环独特的形式和结构一致性的同时，它加强了旧约和新约之间的连续性，以及以色列人在救赎史上的角色，它也认识到戏剧参与当前刻板印象的潜力。本文考察了福音书中对基督的审判和死亡的描述是如何被修改的，通过将犹太人描绘成折磨者，粉饰非犹太人的角色，并特别强调犹太人的无知问题。它展示了关于犹太人的不同神学和流行立场是如何在切斯特对基督受难的表现中融合和调和的，有人认为，这些戏剧以这样一种方式重述了圣经故事，以至于可以从中得出将犹太人驱逐出英国的理由。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Text Matters-A Journal of Literature Theory and Culture LITERARY THEORY & CRITICISM-

CiteScore

0.60

自引率

0.00%

发文量

审稿时长

23 weeks

期刊介绍： Text Matters: A Journal of Literature, Theory and Culture, based at the University of Łódź, is an international and interdisciplinary journal, which seeks to engage in contemporary debates in the humanities by inviting contributions from literary and cultural studies intersecting with literary theory, gender studies, history, philosophy, and religion. The journal focuses on textual realities, but contributions related to art, music, film and media studies addressing the text are also invited. Submissions in English should relate to the key issues delineated in calls for articles which will be placed on the website in advance. The journal also features reviews of recently published books, and interviews with writers and scholars eminent in the areas addressed in Text Matters. Responses to the articles are more than welcome so as to make the journal a forum of lively academic debate. Though Text Matters derives its identity from a particular region, central Poland in its geographic position between western and eastern Europe, its intercontinental advisory board of associate editors and internationally renowned scholars makes it possible to connect diverse interpretative perspectives stemming from culturally specific locations. Text Matters: A Journal of Literature, Theory and Culture is prepared by academics from the Institute of English Studies with considerable assistance from the Institute of Polish Studies and German Philology at the University of Łódź. The journal is printed by Łódź University Press with financial support from the Head of the Institute of English Studies. It is distributed electronically by Sciendo. Its digital version published by Sciendo is the version of record. Contributions to Text Matters are peer reviewed (double-blind review).