The Importance Of Death In Everyman

1093 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: About morality play

Salvation happens to be an important and life-changing event for believers. Every man along with every woman will reach the end of his or her life. With death approaching humankind, there will be more questioning over one’s morality and the effect it will have on God’s decision on Judgment Day. Various playwrights create plays, known as morality plays, to help people understand the ethics behind certain situations and to help them determine right versus wrong. Everyman happens to be a morality play by an unknown author. This particular play regards a man, Everyman, who takes on a spiritual voyage after his confrontation with death. He gets assigned a task that requires him to redeem himself by becoming a righteous man in the eyes of God. The reason for this task is for the sake of him enjoying everlasting life in heaven instead of suffering in hell or in purgatory. He is successful in performing …show more content…

This type of expedition is a pilgrimage because of it being his “recovery from sin to grace through the standard penitential procedures” (Harper & Mize). Everyman used this journey for a shot at redemption as an alternative to immediate death, where the fiery pits of hell devour him. The playwright of this particular play wanted people to realize that there is always a choice in the matter of whether one will find peace in heaven or grief in hell. Yet, one has to be willing to make the effort in becoming a holy person. This happens to be exactly what Everyman accomplishes. People usually spur into action based on their fear. It is merely an abstract concept; nonetheless, people still have that drive and ambition because of it. Everyman is fearful of facing God, the Book of Life, and eternal judgment. This trepidation leads him into agreeing to a pilgrimage, so he can perform additional virtuous deeds to outweigh the evil he has

Show More
Related

  • John Proctor's Principles, Conscience and Morality in The Crucible

    747 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... be feeling in case he lied. The fact that his friends would be hanged contributed even more to his decision, as when he saw Rebecca and Martha he felt like he was being dishonorable and he realized that he was going to a worst place in his afterlife in case he lied. As said, every aspect of conscious on that play revolved around christian beliefs. Proctor can certainly be compared to Jesus, for he served as an example to people and died for them in a way that they will now realize that they can change. Since Proctor was a important person in the town, people will now look with different eyes towards the Minister’s judgement. Proctor’s struggle with his consciousness was a lifelearn lesson that he could take forever with him, had he not died. Proctor, with his principles, decided that the best thing to do was die proudly and that is certainly and admirable attitude.

    Read More

  • Rituals in Everyman and Endgame

    1788 Words  | 4 Pages

    Everyman does not resist death and even prepares for it by performing the religious rituals of the seven blessed sacraments and scourging himself. Through the performance of rituals Everyman is trying to attain the ultimate goal of reaching Heaven. He finds that the only character that will accompany him on his journey is Good Deeds, but she is weak. This represents the idea that he has not done enough good during his life and must now do something to change.

    Read More

  • In Rethinking Life and Death: The Collapse of Our Traditional Values by Peter Singer

    1360 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Rethinking Life and Death: The Collapse of Our Traditional Values, Peter Singer examines ethical dilemmas that confront us in the twentieth century by identifying inconsistencies between the theory and practice of ethics in medicine. With advancements in medical technology, we focus on the quality of patients’ lives. Singer believes that in this process, we have acknowledged a new set of values that conflicts with the doctrine of the sanctity of life.

    Read More

  • 19th Century Women

    1610 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...s of the journey were of such extremes that they made the travels skip something that they were forced to believe was a very important ritual.

    Read More

  • Essay On Why Death Is Bad By Thomas Nagel

    1091 Words  | 3 Pages

    Thomas Nagel’s paper Death would be better if renamed “Why Death is Bad” because that is the issue he is dealing with throughout it. He is not raising a general view on what death is but rather to establish a specific point about death; that it is bad. He raises the question on how we should regard death and whether “it is a bad thing to die.” Nagel is building a case for saying that death is bad, that death is an evil and that when someone dies something bad happens to them. What Nagel is trying to establish is the reputation of Epicurus who said that death is neither good nor bad because since death is not something we experience, and death is the taking away of all experience; the ability to experience, it is nothing to us, neither good nor bad. What Nagel wants to establish it that Epicurus didn’t have it right. Nagel wants to restore our common sense or natural view that death is an evil.

    Read More

  • Life And Death In The Medieval Play Everyman

    1659 Words  | 4 Pages

    Life and death, everyone thinks about it at some point in their lives. Questions like, what could’ve been different, or what was done wrong and how could it be fixed. These questions are usually what come to mind when a person is at their final moments of his/her lives. Most of the time, he/she believes there was so much more than what he/she has been through whether for better or worse. Every human goes through this in some form, which leads to the creation of clinical teachings like the 5 stages of dying. These 5 stages consist of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The medieval play, Everyman displays this kind of questioning of life and death. The main character, Everyman, struggles with accepting the fact there is nothing he can do to keep everything he’s built up, which is mostly worldly possessions. Everyman, the play, is a prime example of when faced with death himself, one must come to the realization that worldly

    Read More

  • Redemption In A Lesson Before Dying

    1088 Words  | 3 Pages

    Redemption is the act of being saved by from sin, error, or evil. Redemption is a major theme in all writings, short-stories, novels, poems, plays, etc. Many people in their lives look to achieve redemption by the time they kick the bucket, however sometimes redemption is achieved with death. In Christianity I am reminded of the significance of the death of Christ on the cross to relate to the theme of redemption in death. In this paper I hope to accomplish a contrast of the novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines and the play of Hamlet by William Shakespeare, by using the theme of redemption in death, and also ultimately explaining

    Read More

  • Essay On The Medieval Era

    1155 Words  | 3 Pages

    intended to help reinforce the importance of God and religion people's lives (Everyman). The play

    Read More

  • On Death Without Exaggeration Summary

    1104 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Wislawa Szymborska’s poem, “On Death, without Exaggeration”, the idea of Death is assigned characteristics of Deaths waged war against numerous quantities of emerging life that, itself, destroys life. Szymborska grew up in Poland during the Second World War, she was surrounded by Death, in addition, the experiences she had helped her to cope with Death and remain hopeful. The poem seems to make the reader think Death is an inevitable part of life and in order to appreciate life one must accept Death. However, if you read closely in the last line of the second stanza, “which is always beside the point” (7), Death is revealed to be indifferent, not accepting. Szymborska uses persona, irony, and personification to create rich

    Read More

  • Difference And Diversity For A Good Death

    754 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout this essay I will discuss and define what is a ‘good death’ and who it is good for, using case studies as evidence. Defining the difference on difference and diversity and why it is important to outline the relation to difference and diversity for a ‘good death’.

    Read More

  • Paradise Lost and The Canterbury Tales

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    Both plays argue their ideas and opinions about salvation, the hypocrisy of the church and the hypocritical, selfish gains, masked by ‘pious’ work by man, in The Canterbury Tales. The difference in time displays the level of depth that each author can go into challenging the norm and arguing their ideas. In Paradise Lost it is obvious that temptation can come in very attractive forms but only by God’s grace, are we saved. Both authors agree that mankind is flawed and but the knowledge of said shortcomings and the study of what is right is what makes life interesting and worth living and this is what determines salvation: fighting the good fight

    Read More

  • Death And Dying Essay

    1240 Words  | 3 Pages

    The subject of death and dying can cause many controversies for health care providers. Not only can it cause legal issues for them, but it also brings about many ethical issues as well. Nearly every health care professional has experienced a situation dealing with death or dying. This tends to be a tough topic for many people, so health care professionals should take caution when handling these matters. Healthcare professionals not only deal with patient issues but also those of the family. Some of the controversies of death and dying many include; stages of death and dying, quality of life issues, use of medications and advanced directives.

    Read More

  • Everyman

    365 Words  | 1 Pages

    The play “Everyman” is about a complacent Everyman who is informed by Death of his approaching end. The play shows the hero’s progression from despair and fear of death to a “Christian resignation that is the prelude to redemption.” Throughout the play Everyman is deserted by things that he thought were of great importance portrayed by characters that take the names of the things they represent.

    Read More

  • Death And The Afterlife Essay

    1370 Words  | 3 Pages

    In a time where science and materialism reign, the topic of the soul is rarely mentioned, ostensibly left in the past with the philosophers of old. Nichols, however, candidly broaches this difficult topic and gives new life to the argument that humans do indeed have an immaterial, immortal soul. Nichols summarizes several popular arguments for the existence of the soul as he builds his own argument, which discusses a soul as limited in relation to its environment as well as a soul that is one with the mind and a controller of the body. He discusses both the strengths and challenges to his argument, offering rebuttals to the challenges. Because this soul is the organizing principle of the body it is involved in the Resurrection as well, bridging the gap between the material and spiritual worlds. However, I disagree with Nichols’ assessment, instead choosing the side of materialism where an immaterial soul does not exist.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Death

    1331 Words  | 3 Pages

    One thing that we often hear is that “death is just a part of life.” So often in our day and age do we hear people utter these words. However, death is far more significant and impactful than some would allege. True death is not merely a time when we cease to exist; it is an entombment, a mindset in which we are dead to this world. Throughout our lives, it is true that we can all be dead in one way or another, but it does not have to be that way. When we have our eyes opened to what death actually is, it is far easier to grasp what the true meaning of life is, and to embrace it. Often, we will come across individuals who are enveloped in death and others who are immersed in true life. The shadow of death and entombment lies upon some, encompassing

    Read More

More about The Importance Of Death In Everyman

Open Document