Everyman

The play the Everyman, was written around the 1500s and grew to be one of the most influential and popular, time-surviving morality plays of its time. Although there has many arguments and debates over the playwright, scholars believe that the play itself may be linked to the Dutch play Elckerlic (5). The play taught those who saw it performed or those who read it, biblical ideas relating to the life and death of every man. The play focuses on the perception of death and how the characters deal with the end of their life in a way that shows that we should make the most out of our life since death is inevitable.

I. BACKGROUND ON MORALITY DRAMA

Performed by semi-professional actors, popular morality plays were shown throughout Europe in the

Because morality plays reflected biblical ideals and values, it is no surprise that the Everyman also has personified characters that relate to life, death, and faith. The first character is Everyman, a common man driven by his wealth and earthly ideas and materials. He is an allegorical character in the play that is called on by God for judgment and can stand for “every man” on the earth that will eventually also face God’ judgment. Hearing that he will die and will face God’s wrath, he set off on a journey for salvation. God’s messenger, Death, is tasked with finding Everyman – a job that Death does not fail. After Death finds Everyman, he delivers the message of Everyman’s fate – an inevitable and inescapable death. The next characters are Fellowship and Kindred & Cousin and Goods. These characters represent family, relationships, and materials on the earth. They are also three of the first characters that desert and abandon Everyman. Beauty, Discretion, Strength, and the Five Wits are among the characters that desert Everyman last before he dies. Although Beauty, Discretion, and Strength clearly describe the attribute they are, The Five Wits are not as clear. As the reader reads through the poem, the Five Wits become easier recognize as the five senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch.) Knowledge is the character that helps Everyman realize his sin. Confession is the character in the play that Everyman speaks to in order to repent for his sins. These characteristics are important characters that lead Everyman on the road to salvation and redemption. The Angel is the second to last character to appear and is who takes Everyman’s soul at the end of his life. The Doctor is the character that narrates the epilogue at the end of the