Everyman

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Death in “Everyman”

The concept of death in human life is dreaded by all who hear it. People fear the mention of death. People look for ways to prolong their lives and avoid death. They avoid things, situations, or people that will cause them to die. The uncertainty and inevitable nature of death instills the fear of death in people. People want to be certain of their position in life. People like life because they know where they belong. Death presents an unsolvable challenge for most people. In the Christian perspective, death has two destinations. Christians believe that when a person dies, he or she goes to heaven or hell, depending on the extent of their salvation. The various Christian denominations have different interpretations of …show more content…

The play’s main character is Everyman, who represents all the people on earth. The author has personified different virtues and vices, and he uses them to represent the other characters in the play. The play begins by God sending Death, His messenger on earth. God is portrayed as patient and merciful. The play shows peoples haste to live in sin and enjoy the pleasures of the earth, while they abandon and neglect their spiritual life until their final moments on the earth. It highlights the uselessness of some of the worldly things, since they do not count for much when one is dying. The play is a reflection of how people suffer on the earth while trying to obtain worldly riches, yet in the end, all the suffering leads to nothing, as ultimately, people leave this earth with nothing when they die. The author focuses on different themes, among them death. The author perceives death as something sent from God. This is seen in the way he designates Death as a messenger from God. As God’s messenger, he has to deliver the news that God sends him to deliver to the people, whether good or bad. He has to follow God’s commands, and he is submitted to God’s will. He does not wait for what people consider a “suitable moment”, for him to deliver the message. He comes at an unexpected moment. When death approaches Everyman, Everyman tells him, “Oh Death, you’ve come when I least expected you.” As God’s messenger, he does not live by man’s bidding. He is not tempted by people’s persuasions. Everyman attempts to bribe Death by telling him that he will give him whatever he wants if he delays his coming. This does not work with Death, and he tells Everyman that he does not respect worldly riches, people’s emotions, or even powerful people when delivering God’s message (Gassner & Quinn, 2002). Although Everyman fears death, he does not realize that Death is

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