Analysis on the medieval play Noah's Flood Research Paper

Analysis on the medieval play Noah's Flood - Research Paper Example Her character is belittled in the play as a woman who lacks wisdom, foresight and who is not submissive to her husband. Her reaction suggests that she likes gossiping with her friends and actually seems to prefer to stay on with them as opposed to going into the ark with Noah. According to her, her friends are the people who truly love her and care for her and she believes she is the only one that can ensure those friends are saved (Page 314: 200-8). In the case of Noah’s wife, the hierarchical trends in society are bucked to the extent that Noah appears to be a henpecked man who submits to the will of his wife; hence it is his wife who appears to have authority in their household. For example, despite her resistance to going into the ark, Noah is concerned about her and asks his sons to bring her on (www.lib.rochester.edu). He says: â€Å"Welcome wife, into the boat† (Page 315:245) but Noah’s wife’s reaction is to give him a sharp slap, with the response, â€Å"Have thou that for thy note!† (Page 315:246). Noah does not retaliate as another man would have done, to put his wife in her place with sharp, belittling words or physical violence. He winces at the slap he receives and says, â€Å"Aha Mary, this is hot!† (Page 315:247), but merely continues â€Å"It is good to be still.† (Page 315:248). The play about Noah’s Flood is very important in the religious context, because it sets out various themes that are later also replicated in the Bible. The inclusion and depiction of the character of Noah’s wife is significant, especially when compared to Adam and Eve. Noah appears to be like Adam – a godly man with a rebellious wife. Noah’s wife’s resistance to going into the ark appears to symbolize the sin of mankind (www.geocities.com). In a similar manner to Noah’s wife refusing to go into the ark, man also refuses to turn