“The Winchester Dialogues” is the collective term for two fifteenth-century dramatic texts which survive uniquely in Winchester College MS 33 (folios 54-73). The first text, “Lucidus and Dubius”, is a vernacular version of the “Elucidarium”, an educational text in which a teacher answers questions about religion put to him by his former pupil. It does not have a title in the manuscript, but is captioned “Interroga partres tuos et dicent tibi” (“ask your fathers and they will tell you”). The second text is a morality play featuring a wayward character called Idleness, who finds redemption through the guidance of his masters Occupation and Doctrine. It is known by its modern title “Occupation and Idleness”, but is dubbed “Occupation” in the manuscript.
The Plots
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Citation: Claridge, Alexandra. "The Winchester Dialogues". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 22 October 2019 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=39011, accessed 10 May 2024.]
