The Drama of Reform

The Physician and His Servant in the Croxton <i>Play of the Sacrament</i>

“…17 Atkin similarly confirms that 'there are good reasons for believing that the episode belongs to the play's original design' and offers a compelling reading of the scene as an intentional and 'effective piece of orthodox propaganda' in line with the play's central message. 18 In his 1975 edition of the Croxton Play David Bevington originally claimed, 'The play's single comic scene [ie, the doctor's] appears to be a late addition … probably added for its horseplay rather than for any serious thematic purpose', but in a recent book chapter he reconsiders, asserting, '"Comic relief" is too easy a nostrum'. 19 Bevington admits there is some 'plausible' connection between the doctor's scene and the main plot and concludes, 'We should not be surprised to find in Sacrament an episodic instance of this paradoxically comic suffering in the little story of Master Brundiche and his servant', in large part because the entire plot line of Jonathas's exertions upon the host is 'a ludicrous parody of Christ's suffering', buoyed by 'the irresistibly comic nature of an actor losing a limb or part of one'.…”

“…38 Atkin similarly invokes Bevington's introduction to identify the 'colkote' as a reference to the Babwell Mill 'Tolcote' but also observes the word is spelled 'colkote' in Davis's standard edition. 39 In more recent work, Bevington has clarified that 'Colkote may be a copying error for Tolcote' as 'both Tolcote and Babwell Mill are in the vicinity of Croxton near the border of Norfolk and Suffolk'. 40 The three scribes of the play manuscript certainly made plenty of other recognizable copying errors, as noted throughout Davis's edition.…”