Editing A Passion Play (section)

==Concept==

===Background===
''A Passion Play'' borrows its title from [[passion play]]s which depict the [[Passion (Christianity)|Passion]] of [[Jesus Christ]], though the title is evidently [[irony|ironic]], since the lyrics at first appears to present a generically Christian view of the afterlife but then rejects Christian theological conclusions.<ref name="Ministry">{{cite web|url=http://www.ministry-of-information.co.uk/app/story.htm |title=The core narrative of Jethro Tull's 'A Passion Play' explained at the Ministry Of Information |publisher=Neil Thomason (NRT) |date=2003 |access-date=1 May 2015}}</ref> ''A Passion Play'' is described in its album [[liner notes]] as though it were a staged theatrical "play" in four acts. Of this album, "the lyrics themselves are extremely complicated, the story is often unclear, and much is left to the individual's interpretation".<ref name="Ministry"/> Knowledge of the characters and [[setting (fiction)|setting]] actually comes less from the lyrics themselves and more from the few brief words in the [[satire|satirical]], six-page "Linwell Theatre [[Programme (booklet)|programme]]" included in the original album packaging, which features photos of the band members listed alongside fake names and biographies as the "actors" of the play, including Rena Sanderone (an [[anagram]] of "[[Ian Anderson|Eean Anderrson]]") as the playwright.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.j-tull.com/discography/passionplay/program3.cfm |title=A Passion Play – Linwell Theatre Program |publisher=J-tull.com |access-date=8 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101004154413/http://www.j-tull.com/discography/passionplay/program3.cfm |archive-date=4 October 2010 }}</ref> A basic narrative plot can be loosely interpreted from the lyrics, liner notes, and "programme" of ''A Passion Play'', centering on [[everyman]] [[protagonist]] Ronnie Pilgrim, who is named only in the programme.

Anderson described his conceptual inspiration for ''A Passion Play'' as: {{Quote|A fascination that I had about the possibility of a hereafter, that touches upon the conventions of popular religion, and [[Christianity]] in particular. It recognizes that age-old conflict between good and bad, [[God]] and [[the Devil]], and tries to bring it to some theatrical life, to give character, to give expression, to give... I suppose a sense of vulnerability and less than perfect sense regarding the identities of the personifications of good and evil. But basically it's a kind of slightly tongue-in-cheek look at what might happen when you die.<ref name="ExtendedPerformance" />}}

===Plot synopsis===
Ronnie Pilgrim recognises his own death and, in ghostly form, attends his own funeral, before traversing a [[Purgatory|purgatorial]] desert and "icy wastes", where he is visited by a smiling [[angel]] guide (Act 1). Pilgrim is next admitted into a video viewing room by a [[Saint Peter|Peter Dejour]], and events of Pilgrim's life are replayed by a [[projectionist]] before a demanding jury.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cupofwonder.com/apassion2.html |title=Voorbij, Jan (2009). An introduction to "A Passion Play" at www.CupOfWonder.com |access-date=22 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630085514/http://www.cupofwonder.com/apassion2.html |archive-date=30 June 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> After a long-winded and bizarre evaluation process, the sardonic jury concludes that they "won't cross [Pilgrim] out", suggesting that he has led a mostly decent life and so will be admitted into [[Heaven]], which corresponds with the sudden start of a cheerful "Forest Dance" melody (Act 2).

At this time, the main plot is interrupted by an unrelated, spoken-word [[comedic]] [[Entr'acte|interlude]] (narrated by [[Jeffrey Hammond]] with an exaggerated [[Lancashire accent]]) backed by instrumentation. Presented as an [[absurdist humour|absurd]] [[fable]], the interlude details (with much [[wordplay]]) the failure of a group of [[anthropomorphic]] animals to help a [[hare]] find his missing [[eyeglasses]].<ref name="Smolko">Smolko, Tim (2013). ''Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play: Inside Two Long Songs''. Indiana University Press. pp. 126-127</ref>

The "Forest Dance" melody resumes, and Ronnie Pilgrim now appears in Heaven, two days after his judgment at the viewing room, communicating two unexpected thoughts: "I'll go to the foot of our stairs" (an expression of surprise) and "[[wikt:pie in the sky|pie in the sky]]" (an expression of scepticism about the fulfilment of a reward). Pilgrim's dissatisfaction with Heaven appears to be linked to its mundane atmosphere where most of its residents endlessly reminisce, chronically obsessing over the living. Therefore, unable to adapt, Pilgrim goes to [[God the Father|G. Oddie]] & [[God the Son|Son]] to frankly request a relocation to Hell, feeling that he has a "right to be wrong".<ref name="Smolko"/> Descending into Hell, Pilgrim is confronted by [[Devil in Christianity|Lucifer]] (named "Lucy" in the album's fictitious programme), who asserts his cold authority as Pilgrim's "overseer" (Act 3). Pilgrim immediately finds Hell even worse than Heaven and flees, understanding himself now as neither completely good nor evil, wishing that he could trade his "halo for a horn and the horn for the hat I once had". He speaks with a Magus Perdé<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ministry-of-information.co.uk/app/perde.htm|title=Magus Perde - analysis of Act Four of Jethro Tull's 'A Passion Play', annotated at the Ministry Of Information|website=Ministry-of-information.co.uk|access-date=19 May 2021}}</ref> about his dilemma and, having sampled and rejected both extremes of his afterlife options, he finally stands on a [[Styx|Stygian]] shore as a "voyager into life". On this beach, other people and animals also prepare to "renew the pledge of life's long song". The final triumphant lyrics include the phrases "ever-burning fire", "ever-door", "ever-life", and moving "from the dark into ever-day", so that the play concludes with a strong implication of [[Immortality|eternal]] [[reincarnation|rebirth]] (Act 4).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ministry-of-information.co.uk |title=Jethro Tull Tour History, annotated Passion Play and blog, at the Ministry Of Information |publisher=Ministry-of-information.co.uk |access-date=1 May 2015}}</ref>