In Ritual and Drama, Francis Edwards reveals that ritual forms the basis of all popular theatrical entertainment, the root from which dramatic art has grown. Covering the period from the tenth to the fifteenth centuries, Edwards focusses on the audience impact rather than the artistic qualities of the mediaeval plays, devoting much of his attention to the emotional effect of religious and dramatic ritual on the spectator. Illuminating the impact of Christian rituals, liturgy, and stories, Edwards draws illustrative parallels between mediaeval and modern states of mind. Ritual and Drama describes the growth of the dramatic idea, the styles of presentation of the mystery cycles, and the evolution of the morality play, presenting in straightforward terms a theme fundamental to our understanding of mediaeval dramatic art.