Description
In order to understand a country's drama, one must understand the world of the play as well as that of the playwright. In the case of sixteenth-century Scotland and its two extant plays (Ane Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis and Philotus) in the native tongue of Scots, one must look at the political and economical history of the country at large and the local area, as well as the personal history of the playwright. When it comes to a play written in a native tongue, such as Scots, one must also examine that tongue and its development. This thesis traces the histories of Scotland and the Scots language, while analyzing native-written plays. The major focus is on the first two extant plays and how their creation shaped Scotland's drama, while also being shaped by Scotland's politics. These two plays are from the Royal Court of Scotland at the cusp of its departure to England. Had the Crowns of England and Scotland not united when they did, we might have had more extant plays. Had the Royal Scottish Court not respected Scots as its own language, we would have no plays. These plays mark both a beginning and an end to Scots plays and are therefore unique and important to the study of Scots literature as a whole.
