Cain and Abel
The N-Town Play's version of the story of Cain and Abel seems to follow along very closely to the Genesis 4 story of Cain and Abel. Although the two are very similar to each other, there are a few slight differences between the two stories.
The first two differences I want to point out appears only in the N-Town Plays. The first is that Adam speaks to his sons directly in the Plays. Adam tells his sons how to make sacrifices to God saying, "The first fruit offer to him in sacrifice burnt" (line 42). This is especially important for Cain since he was a farmer whereas Abel was a sheppard and could not offer products of the earth. The second difference in the Plays is when Cain and Abel burn their tithes. Cain notices that Abel's fire burns brightedr than his and becomes enraged. These two slight variations make Cain seem less like a villain and more like someone with very bad anger management issues. Since Cain followed Adam's advice to offer some of his harvest to God, it sort of shifts the blame. However, Cain did not offer the first fruit of the field, but the worst crops of his harvest. I can understand how this would have angered God. And as far as sacrifices go, giving up your first harvest is no where near as bad your youngest sheep or even your son.
One line from the story that appears in both the N-Town Plays and Genesis 4 is the line "I know not: am I my brother's keeper?" or "My brother's keeper, who made me?". This is just a singular example of the many lines from the bible that have been adapted as common place phrases. In everyday life, this phrase has come to represent people's unwillingness to be responsible for the people close to them. Almost like a cop out, "I am not my brother's keeper" is used by people who just cannot be bothered to show that they care for anyone but their self. When this expression is said in reguards to yourself it makes you think about the level of your relationship with that person. Freshman year I was out of school wwith the flu. When my teacher asked my best friend where I was, she responded why would she know, she wasn't my keeper. My friend knew that I was sick but did not bother to tell anyone. It made me feel like she did not really worry about me the way I tought a friend should.
The first two differences I want to point out appears only in the N-Town Plays. The first is that Adam speaks to his sons directly in the Plays. Adam tells his sons how to make sacrifices to God saying, "The first fruit offer to him in sacrifice burnt" (line 42). This is especially important for Cain since he was a farmer whereas Abel was a sheppard and could not offer products of the earth. The second difference in the Plays is when Cain and Abel burn their tithes. Cain notices that Abel's fire burns brightedr than his and becomes enraged. These two slight variations make Cain seem less like a villain and more like someone with very bad anger management issues. Since Cain followed Adam's advice to offer some of his harvest to God, it sort of shifts the blame. However, Cain did not offer the first fruit of the field, but the worst crops of his harvest. I can understand how this would have angered God. And as far as sacrifices go, giving up your first harvest is no where near as bad your youngest sheep or even your son.
One line from the story that appears in both the N-Town Plays and Genesis 4 is the line "I know not: am I my brother's keeper?" or "My brother's keeper, who made me?". This is just a singular example of the many lines from the bible that have been adapted as common place phrases. In everyday life, this phrase has come to represent people's unwillingness to be responsible for the people close to them. Almost like a cop out, "I am not my brother's keeper" is used by people who just cannot be bothered to show that they care for anyone but their self. When this expression is said in reguards to yourself it makes you think about the level of your relationship with that person. Freshman year I was out of school wwith the flu. When my teacher asked my best friend where I was, she responded why would she know, she wasn't my keeper. My friend knew that I was sick but did not bother to tell anyone. It made me feel like she did not really worry about me the way I tought a friend should.
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