The notion of justice in the novel Morality play

Morality Play is a semi-historical novel by Barry Unsworth, published in 1995. The action takes place in the 14^th century, immediately after the outbreak of the plague. Being a medieval style detective novel, it raises several topics important or peculiar for the epoch depicted: faith and religion, feudalism, women’s world, poverty etc. In relation to these topics appear immortal concepts, such as Sin, Love, Truth, Honour, Justice. The last one seems to me particularly significant in the novel, and not only because it is closely connected to the detective genre. Here it plays a rather substantial role in exposing the author’s apprehension of the cultural and historical process that lurks behind a typical detective plot.

The justice here exists in three hypostases, and to make my point clear, I will consider each in order.

The players in the novel stage traditional medieval genres, such as mystery play and morality play. In these plays the characters are abstract concepts, such as Contemplation, Freewill and Justice — and abstract Justice is the first incarnation. It is almost not shown in the novel, but is easily supposed, based on Nicholas’ past and early present. This Justice is more like a rule, an axiom that exists among others, such as Good and Evil. It is considered invincible — that is why the players initially take the existing version of the murder, and the townsfolk are not interested in doubting it without the players’ initiative.

Here, with the doubt, comes the second, concrete Justice . It has two forms: it is a concept, but also there is an embodiment — the

King’s Justice. At the beginning of the narration, he becomes a catalyst for the main character’s doubts about the real motives and doers of the murder (“'What brings the Justice from a great place to a small in the days before Christmas?'” “'But if already she is found guilty, <…> what brings the Justice with his retinue here?'”). He does not appear in person for quite long and when he finally does, he is a piece of hope for the main character. The moment when they meet, in my opinion, is a culmination of the book. It is crucial for the plot: this is how the players and Jane are saved, this is how de Guise is curbed. Moreover, it shows the inadequacy of Nicholas’ image of Justice, the invalidity of existing justice in the kingdom, which complements the author’s concept of historical changes in the society shown in the book.

Last but not least, is the shapeshifter Justice. It is the fall of all the hopes and convictions of the main character, the turning point in his life. It happens when the King’s Justice admits that de Guise will not be arrested, and uses all the evidence he has not to condemn him, but blackmail him instead, to keep the rambunctious feudal in harness. This final stroke makes Nicholas decide irrevocably to remain a player: “I was in the part of a hired scribe but I did not know this, I thought it was my true self. God is not served by self-deceiving. The impulse to run away had not been folly but the wisdom of my heart. I would be a player and I would try to guard my soul, unlike the Player in the fable. And I would not again be trapped in a pan. 'I am grateful, my Lord Justice,' I said, 'but I will remain a player now,'” — thus he takes the path towards the new outlook he is about to acquire. From an abstract concept to a particular manifestation and then to the collapse and reconsideration of the initial idea, Justice serves as a perfect illustration of the main character’s growth. Nicholas’ worldview goes all the way from highly idealistic (he prays all the time, relies on dogmas etc.) to realistic, from Morality play to the play of Tomas Wells. Firstly, being an obedient slave of the Providence he never thought over anything more or less serious himself — what for, when there are stable patterns developed over the centuries or provided by the ones who know better? Hence, Justice was not more than an idea, a personage of the Morality play, formulaic, perfect — and abstract. Then, secondly, when his personality began to change, he started to think and feel on his own, finally liberated from his holy dictatorship. Here the abstract idea turns into a concrete hope, embodied in the figure of the King's Justice. But he hoped in vain: the Justice was something immensely different from all the patterns and images he had in his head. This leads Nicholas to rethinking not only justice, but life in general, the way the world works. “…the Justice was a player and the King also, a larger play in which the suffering of the innocent was of no importance except as a counter to bargain with. And as my eyes grew heavy with sleep I wondered if there were not some larger play still, in which Kings and Emperors and Popes, though thinking they are in the centre of the space, are really only in the margin…” It is not clearly stated what conclusion he will — if he will — come up with in the end, but the start has been made.

This, of course, was not only significant considering Nicholas. He represents the new people (he is young, for the record) who are about to enter a new epoch, to make it happen — the Renaissance. Chronologically, of course, it is yet too early, but it is not that important here; Nicholas is a forerunner, an example. He is the only one today, but over the years, the number will grow to thousands.

To sum up, the notion of Justice evolves throughout the novel alongside the Nicholas’ mental development, which is an illustration to the historical development of the West-European culture and thought at the turn of the epoch.

END NOTES – For Contributors and for Ordering Footpath

Notes for contributors

We particularly welcome literary articles on recent British novels and plays which are not part of the ORF project. (The journal would be very boring if we confined ourselves to discussing only the novels and plays on the list!) We are also pleased to publish articles on other literary genres. Especially, poetry. Please look carefully at style notes for contributors , including the use of italics which are more common in English than in Russian.

Our sections delineate our interests: articles on general literary topics; articles on individual works; debate and controversy; articles on teaching this literature; reviews; letters.