Basic Structure

These plays were performed by specific guilds and tradesmen, each guild having a different play assigned to them. Below is a table I found illustrating the basic casting structure.

 

Plays as performed by the Freemen & Guilds of Chester in 1540

Mystery Play	Guilds
The Fall of Lucifer	The Barkers and Tanners
The Creation of the World	The Drapers and Hosiers
Noah and his Ship	The Waterleaders and Drawers in the Dee
Abraham and Isaac	The Barber Surgeons and Waxchandlers
Balak and Balam	The Cappers, Wiredrawers and Pinners
The Nativity	The Wheelrights, Slaters, Tylers, Daubers and Thatchers
The Shepherds	The Painters, Glaziers and Embroiderers
King Herod (Adoration of the Magi)	The Vintners
The Three Kings	The Mercers and Spicers
Slaughter of the Innocents	The Goldsmiths and Masons
Purification of Our Lady	The Smiths, Forbers and Pewterers
The Temptation & Woman taken into Adultery	The Butchers
Raising of Lazarus	The Glovers and Parchment-makers
The Coming of Christ to Jerusalem	The Corvisars
The Last Supper	The Grocers, Bakers and Millers
The Scourging of Christ	The Bowyers, Fletchers, Stringers, Coopers and Turners
The coming of the Antichrist	The Dyers
The Crucifixion	The Ironmongers and Ropers
Harrowing of Hell	The Cooks, Tapsters, Ostlers and Innkeepers
The Resurrection	The Skinners, Plastercard-makers, Hatters, Painters and Girdlers
Castle of Emmaus & the Apostles	The Saddlers
The Ascension	The Tailors
Whitsunday Making of the Creed	The Fishmongers
Prophets before the Day of Doom	The Shermen
Antichrist	The Hewsters and Bellfounders
The Last Judgement	The Weavers and Walkers

 

For me anyways, this is also an interesting look at the employment structure of the day. Literally, everyone had a trade, a very specific job and a guild of other such workers as well (plaster-card makers, cooks, innkeepers). Some of these trades I've never even heard of, such as ostlers, corvisars, forbers, and yet each and every one has a place in this pageant, a nice image of how these plays really did bring the community together. And they continue to do so today.

 The top image is of the Chester Mystery Plays as they first began, being performed on a pageant cart. The below image is from the Chester performance in 2008.

Works cited:

"Looking Back | Welwyn Mysteries 2010." Home | Welwyn Mysteries 2010. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.welwynmysteries.com/lookingback.html>.

 

File:ChesterMysteryPlay 300dpi.jpg. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ChesterMysteryPlay_300dpi.jpg>.

 

"Chester Mystery Plays." Historic UK - Heritage Accommodation in Castles,cottages,hotels,bed and Breakfast,boats,dream Weddings, Living History and History Magazine. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/ChesterMysteryPlays.htm>.