The play Everyman may have been written many years ago, but its lessons are still relevant today. Generally, the facts of death are very traumatizing and in fact unthinkable. This leads the modern day Everyman to ignore its significance, dying without acknowledging or reflecting on their lives here on earth. It is based on this fact that this paper aims to show the position of the author of the play “Everyman” regarding death.
History of the Play
Like many other morality- allegorical plays, Everyman, fits in as the finest representative of this category. This morality play reflects on the reaction of mankind when faced with the dilemma of eternity. In the play, God sends Death to summon Everyman- a representation all mankind. It is expected the all good and evil actions of Everyman will be counted up and Everyman will give an account to God at the last day. Therefore, this play centers on the story of Everyman's journey to this final days of reckoning. As one would expect, Everyman attempts to persuade other characters to accompany him to his summon thinking and hoping that this would earn him mercy from God. Notably, all the other characters in this play are also allegorical; meaning that, each one of them gives a clue as to how they will act or react to Everyman’s invite. Accordingly, it is through these characters actions that the conflict between good and evil is dramatized. Essentially, the inspiration of this Morality Play was centered mainly on the longing to communicate principles of Christian living in a manner such that the common, and illiterate human beings would understand its meaning and concept (Yaw Adu-Gyamfi & Schmidt, 2011).
Morality plays date back to the 15th century, the clergy found it more appropriate to ma...
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...e, either knowingly or unknowingly. As such, he challenges the audience to revisit their own actions every time so that they can face penance. Penance or repentance in this case helps Everyman to go through a severe and purifying form of bodily and conscience sufferings. However, after the purification process Everyman’s Good Deeds are strengthened, and through knowledge he is prepared to face judgment with the help of pure Good Deeds and his clean Conscience. Therefore, the Author shows that though Everyman is wicked, there is hope. Everyman must forget about himself, focus on others and repent, then he will be able to face God.
Works Cited
wonderfulfaustus.com. (2013). Morality Plays. Retrieved from wonderfulfaustus: http://wonderfulfaustus.wikispaces.com/Morality+Play
Yaw Adu-Gyamfi, & Schmidt, M. (2011). Literature and Spirituality. London, England: Longman.
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In the English morality play “Everyman”, whose author is unknown, characters of the play try to find what Everyman really values in his life. When Everyman realizes that he has not been living a life focused on God. Instead, Everyman has been focusing more on worldly issues and riches than he should have. Once the play goes on further, Everyman is then approached by a character, whose name is Death. At that time, Everyman notices that he is about to die. However, he also realizes that all the earthly things that he had once held on to now mean nothing and will end up abandoning him. Everyman knows he must repent of his sins. He is also on the look out for someone to go along with him on this journey so that he could show an account of his own life to God.
Everyman is English morality play written by an anonymous author in late fifteenth century. The play’s represent the values that Everyman holds on to by its characterization. The spiritual life of Everyman was neglected by him, but he is quickly repents of his sins as the play develops. After realizing Everyman is summoned by Death, he doesn’t want to die and die alone for that matter. Everyman soon realizes that when he is seeking for a companion to go on a journey that he wants to go but there is no one available. He soon comes to terms that everyone will soon abandon him who accompanied him on earth. The play is in allegorical characters that represents variety of concepts such as (Knowledge, Good Deeds etc.)