A disguising would certainly add visual interest to such a long speech, and there is evidence of this having happened in 1501 - also on 6th Jan, 1515 for the Chapel Children's pageant, 'the pavyllyon un the plas parlos', whose meaning was given, 'by proses of speche' (PRO E36/217, f.209). Cornish probably went on to perform a simillar function as 'Reaport' on 8th October, 1518 at Greenwich.
The enmeshing of spoken and visual genres, therefore, did have precedent, although was not normally a feature of Heywood's debate- or farce-centred plays. Rastall, Heywood, hmmm. Difficult to disentangle these two at times. Also makes me think about The Messenger's rhyme royal monologue at the beginning of 'The Four Elements'. Could this have had mimetic elements too?
Interesting that you should raise the 'Father of Heaven' pageant, as I have wondered whether 'The Play of the Weather' is in dialogue with this. As Anglo writes, "Prince Arthur sitting upon a golden throne amidst a revolving cosmos? The heir to the throne of England within the 'spere of the sunne'? What did it mean?" (1969, p78). He argues that, most importantly, Arthur is representing both the Sun as a bridegroom and the Sun of Justice - justice being a significant theme of 'The Play of the Weather' of course, but marriages and suns/sons too. One of our actors even suggested that there is a comic evasion of a rhyme at the start of the 'new moon' speech. "Even now he is making of a new moon" - sun/son, surely? To rhyme with 'done'? "Son, that is not the thing at this time meant", says Jupiter when he denies access to The Gentlewoman, but the personal and political prove especially hard to separate when the King's 'Great Matter' is at stake.
As you say, probably many levels of allegory operating at the beginning, but I do agree with your hunch of celestial discord and harmonious accord being physically represented, though frustrated by the lack of historical record, particularly concerning the interlude.
Eleanor Rycroft at Feb 09, 2010 13:38