Who is Tiberius, Pilate from Everyman, and Medieval Miracle Plays and what is their importance? "Everyman

The character of Tiberius in "The Death of Pilate" is clearly intended to be a portrayal of earthly human power, similar to that of Herod (in "The Wakefield Pageant ...") and of Pilate and his minions (in "The Crucifixion"). The leprosy from which he suffers can be seen as an externalization of the corrosive, destructive potential of that power, while the healing of that leprosy can be seen as a similar externalization of the transformation of that potential into grace through acceptance of Jesus and his teaching. It is interesting, and more than a little ironic, that after his conversion to Christianity, Tiberius is portrayed as being incredibly vengeful, almost bloodthirsty, albeit in the name of punishing Pilate for his role in killing Jesus. In this sense Tiberius is, to coin a phrase, much more of an Old Testament Christian than a New Testament one.

Meanwhile, the character of Pilate can also be seen as a portrayal of the consequences of too much adherence to earthly power. The message in this pageant, however, is much stronger and much more vividly manifested than it is in other pageants, what with Pilate's body both refusing to stay buried and causing widespread death.