The earliest known complete morality play in the English language, The Castle of Perseverance depicts the culture of medieval East Anglia, a region once known for its production of artistic objects, particularly textiles. Drawing on an audience-experience approach, this book re-evaluates the landmark play, arguing that vision — as a physical, moral, and cognitive process — was the organizing principle that informed the play's staging, structure, and narrative. As Young shows, the visual culture of East Anglia was central to the play's moral and dramatic thrust and ultimately the battle at the center of the play. Taking into account the staging diagram, stage directions, and dialogue, together with other medieval dramas and medieval visual theories, Vision and Audience in Medieval Drama forges a fresh perspective on the complicated yet vital relationship between vision, audience, and performance.

Andrea Louise Young is an independent scholar based in the UK, with a specialty in Medieval Drama. She has taught at the universities of Liverpool, Manchester, and Liverpool Hope, UK. She currently teaches at the Centre for Continuing Education at the University of Liverpool, UK.

1. Vision, Visuality, and the Audience
2. Staging The Castle of Perseverance
3. Angelic Visions
4. The Castle of Light
5. Vision and Visuality: The Battle of the Banners
6. The End of Play and the Gaze of God
Appendix A: Plotting the play - explanatory notes
Appendix B: Plotting out the play on the ground