The setting of 'Cathedral' adds an extra dynamic to the
play's timeless plot. This essay is
a brief history of cathedrals in Britain.
Britain's cathedrals have been built since from the
eleven hundred's the late twentieth century. They have been built in many
different architectural styles from the Renaissance at St Paul's London to
the modernism found in Coventry's cathedral.
Cathedrals have not always been the quiet places of
worship we are familiar with today. During the Middle Ages right up to the
Reformation in the fifteen hundred's these buildings reflected the great
wealth enjoyed by the Church. Pilgrims not only came to worship but to chat
and share news. In many instances you will find an elaborate carved stone
screen which was used to separate worshippers from the priests and the
singing in the choir.
During the Middle Ages the insides of the cathedral were
decorated with medieval art much of which was then destroyed during the
Reformation. The destruction of these key places of worship continued in the
sixteen hundred's during the Civil War. Cathedral during the Civil War were
used as stables, garrisons and even prisons. What survives today is a trace
of these once vibrant places of worship.
