A Comparison of Medieval and Renaissance Eras, in terms of Drama

It is amazing how aspects of society can and will change so significantly over the course of a few hundred years. Between the time periods of the Medieval era and the Renaissance, one can note numerous significant changes, mainly those pertaining to religion and art, and specifically, drama. In Medieval times, people seemed to rely mainly on the church and God for their entertainment purposes; whereas during the Renaissance, the focus was more secular: humans …

…religion and the afterlife, and began focusing more specifically on problems concerning everyday life. As seen in the English Passion Plays and Everyman the focus of Medieval drama is specifically on biblical topics, especially redemption and the journey of a religious nature, whereas the texts of the Renaissance describe situations of governmental disputes, issues of pride, truthfulness, and many other humanistic attributes of life. The focus has clearly shifted from the religious to the secular.