Morality Play

“It was a death that began it all and another death that led us on.”

In 2004, I watched a beautiful film starring Willem Dafoe and Vincent Cassel, among others, titled “The Reckoning”. Since then, I was trying to find the book that inspired the movie. It wasn't until 2015 that my search finally ended and two years later, I can say that Unsworth created a very memorable and darkly beautiful novel.

Nickolas is a young priest that has broken his vows of chastity. Running away from his diocese, he comes across a company of traveling players who carry a macabre burden. They decide to stay in the nearest village and perform a play out of their usual repertoire which includes Biblical stories. However, a crime that has caused quite an upheaval in the community becomes the inspiration for a new play. And this is when the implications begin.

“....no one fears players....”

The book is a treasure for those of us interested in the tradition of Morality plays or Mysteries, as they are also called. Through pantomime and verse and with complex -for the time-special effects, the actors used to perform religious themes that would be well- known to the audience, peasants and nobles alike. Depicting local incidents and contemporary events was unheard of and would remain so for quite some time. Here, Martin, the leader of the company, decides to break the rule and perform the murder of a young boy. To do so, the company must investigate the disappearence and murder of young Thomas.

Nickolas and Martin are the main characters. In many ways, they're very similar. They are clever and brave but their morality is dubious. They understand one has to depart from the righteous path in order to eat and to defend those in need during harsh times. The rest of the company are people with interesting background stories, like Stephen and Margaret, but the book is too short and there is very little character development.

The writing is beautiful and powerful. The marvelous, haunting wintry atmosphere is very important to the feeling of the story and I could feel as if I was walking in the medieval market as the snow was falling silently upon the grey tower and the huts. There are many issues addressed in the novel. The Plague carries victims in its passing, but death doesn't come from illness exclusively. Humans are the worst, most ruthless murderers. Poverty makes people obey and bend the knee to every Lord that oppresses them in every level without question. Nickolas' thoughts and his interactions with Martin and the King's Justice provide much food thought on psychological and social issues. The freedom of choice, the notion of duty, the hypocrisy and violence. The crime and the punishment.

As I said, the only negative element is the small length of the novel. I wanted to see and understand more of the characters. I wanted to see a rounded closure to the stories of the players, to the fortune of the village and the justice performed. Apart from that, this is an excellent book that I can't place in one genre. Mystery, thriller, Historical Fiction, psychological study and the list goes on. It is fast - paced, memorable and full of vivid images. However, on my opinion, this is a rare case of the film being more completed and well-rounded than the book. The two complement each other in a perfect way.