Morality Play

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For the theatrical allegory, see morality play.

Morality Play is a detective story by Barry Unsworth, a Man Booker Prize-winning author.

Published in 1996 by the W. W. Norton & Company, the book was critically acclaimed and shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.

This story is about actors from the medieval times and a rogue monk. They do plays in various towns, until they arrive upon a town in which the murder of a young boy has recently occurred. The principal actor, Martin, suggests that they do a play on the subject of the unsettling death of the boy, Thomas Wells. The players go out and delve deeper into what really happened. As the story continues, more things begin to occur. The idea of acting this murder is especially difficult for the rogue monk, Nicholas. Although he ran from his duties of a monk, he still holds onto the concept of church and God which tend to give meanings to plays that are often shown. When they show the play for the first time, the mother of the child is watching and denies that the story is true. The players, after they are done, resolve to make a new play, the true story of Thomas Wells.

The 2003 film The Reckoning is based upon the novel.