Intriguing is the development of Morality Plays, following that of Mystery Plays, in the Middle Ages' Europe. I'm not sure how the relationships between them and Shakespearean dramas are.

"Having grown out of the religiously based mystery plays of the Middle Ages, they (Morality Plays) represented a shift towards a more secular base for European theatre."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morality_play

(By David Blackwell / http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobilestreetlife/4954319481/ /CC)