Editing A Passion Play (section)

===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>