Latin School Drama in the Low Countries

Abstract

This contribution first gives a brief overview of the development of Latin-language education in the Low Countries in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Subsequently, the position of Renaissance Latin school drama in the Low Countries is examined in relation to the incorporation of Middle Dutch material, with special attention paid to the play Elckerlijc. It also examines which themes are shared in both Middle Dutch drama and Latin school drama. The three most important generations of school drama authors are also briefly introduced. The period of these school dramas is that of the Dutch Renaissance of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century. This period is illustrated with examples of several authors and plays, in particular the Acolastus by Guillemus Gnaphaeus and the Hecastus by Georgius Macropedius.