▁as ▁sain ts ' ▁plays , ▁mi racle ▁stories , ▁leg ends , ▁and ▁ap oc aly ptic ▁plays . ▁The ▁largest ▁part ▁of ▁plot ▁material ▁is ▁taken ▁from ▁the ▁Bible ▁or ▁Christian ▁legend . ▁▁ ▁Con tr ary ▁to ▁earlier ▁theories ▁trac ing ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁European ▁theatre ▁from ▁the ▁Catholic ▁lit ur gy , ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁logical ▁or ▁chron ological ▁development ▁in ▁the ▁various ▁play ▁texts ▁from ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges ; ▁the ▁scope ▁of ▁the ▁text , ▁its ▁complexity , ▁and ▁its ▁dram atic ▁structure ▁of ▁the ▁many ▁sources ▁known ▁today ▁ ▁do ▁not ▁develop ▁in ▁a ▁system atic ▁manner . ▁Another ▁w ides p read ▁misunder standing ▁of ▁medieval ▁performance ▁forget s ▁that ▁music ▁always ▁played ▁an ▁important ▁part ▁in ▁lit urg ical ▁r ites ▁and ▁plays . ▁ ▁Form s ▁of ▁Performance ▁The ▁r ites ▁in ▁Latin ▁were ▁always ▁performed ▁in ▁a ▁church , ▁in ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁a ▁lit urg ical ▁ceremony . ▁Since ▁they ▁are ▁so ▁strongly ▁integrated ▁into ▁the ▁lit ur gy ▁( M ass ▁or ▁Lit ur gy ▁of ▁the ▁H ours ), ▁it ▁is ▁question able ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁they ▁count ▁as ▁performance . ▁Latin - language ▁plays ▁were ▁also ▁performed ▁in ▁churches ▁without ▁a ▁lit urg ical ▁context . ▁Vern ac ular ▁plays ▁were ▁most ▁often ▁performed ▁in ▁public ▁spaces ▁outside ▁of ▁the ▁church , ▁usually ▁on ▁m ansion ▁stages ▁on ▁the ▁public ▁square . ▁Stage ▁sets ▁representing ▁heaven , ▁hell , ▁Pont ius ▁Pil ate ' s ▁house ▁or ▁the