The role of the Bible in western theatre dates back to the medieval mystery plays. This form of theatre had primarily pedagogical and religious purposes, and the plays were often organised by the Catholic church. Traces of mystery plays can still be found in Europe, especially in Catholic and Orthodox countries where such plays are often staged around the times of Easter and Christmas.
Theatre as a secular art form emerged in earnest at the beginning of the 1500s. Playwrights such as William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and Ben Johnson had rediscovered Aristotle’s Poetics, where the course of human life in time and space was to be portrayed on the stage. Here, the biblical stories were pushed out to the periphery in favour of psychology.
In the 1600s, the playwrights of Europe began to look to the Bible for source material again. The British poet and civil servant John Milton had long been interested in theology and Hebrew poetry, which is reflected in his later works. His most famous work, the epic poem Paradise Lost tells the biblical story of the rise of man, and the sequel Paradise Regained is based on the Gospel of John. The first edition of Paradise Regained included the tragedy Samson agonistes. The play is a dramatization of the Book of Judges from the Old Testament and combines the Hebrew epic with the Greek tragedy.
The French playwright Jean Racine was also inspired by the Bible. In 1689 he wrote Esther, a tragedy in three acts, based on the Book of Esther, and in 1691 Athalie, a five-act tragedy following Athaliah, daughter of King Jehoram and Queen Jezebel. Athalie is considered Racines masterpiece and one of the greatest works of French poetry.
As in other forms of art, the Bible has remained an important part of the theatre. Oscar Wilde’s Salome, Maurice Maeterlinck’s Mary Magdalene and Jean Giradoux’s Judith have shown how biblical stories still have artistic relevance.
Several of these plays have been staged in theatres around the world, including the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, the Schlosspark Theater in Berlin and Theatre South in Orlando.
Here is a selection of dramas with biblical themes:
Samson agonistes (1671) – John Milton (Great Britain)
Esther (1689) – Jean Racine (France)
Athalie (1691) – Jean Racine (France)
Saul (1782) – Vittorio Alfieri (Italy)
Judith (1841) – Friedrich Hebbel (Austria)
Salome (1891) – Oscar Wilde (Great Britain)
Mary Magdalene (1910) – Maurice Maeterlinck (Belgium)
King Davis and His Wives (1923) – David Pinski (Russia/Israel)
Judith (1931) – Jean Giradoux (France)
J.B. (Book of Job) (1958) – Archibald MacLeish (USA)
Judith (1958) – Kjeld Abell (Denmark)
