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Biblical plays such as the York Cycle were the medieval equivalent of modern-day street theatre. Performed in the city streets for all to see, with a recognisable cast of characters from Christ and the Devil to Mary and Joseph, these plays staged important events in the Bible to both entertain and teach their audiences. Late medieval religion placed a great emphasis on Christ’s suffering for mankind on the cross and encouraged Christians to empathise with his experience in order to develop a personal relationship with him. Medieval drama staged the biblical story in the here-and-now and let audiences get closer to the action. In the Crucifixion play when Christ speaks from the cross to ‘al men that walkis by waye or street’ (253), he addresses the people of York directly as they bear witness to his death, played out in the context of the medieval city.
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