In the morality play, “Everyman”, the author sees death as an inevitable act that comes to all mankind. In fact, the author perceives death and treats death as though death is a messenger from God. The general concept in the play is that no one can escape Death because God sends Death to remind mankind of His might. Ideally, the message of death in the play arises from the search for a motive for living. While Everyman attempts to make an agreement with Death so as to extend his time on Earth, Death tells him that he has no use for his riches and therefore will not take his riches.
The paper identifies the concept of death and how death is treated by mankind. The author wrote the play during the fifteenth century, and it is a religious message from God to man. One could say that the play’s success in modern time stems from the universality of the themes, the elements, the dramatic composition. Arguably, the significance of death in “Everyman,” stems from the exploration of how mankind perceives life. Paragraph one deals with the introduction and the thesis statement. The writer will attempt to show that Everyman represents the typical man, and give an insight into the belief that Death comes to all of mankind. The body paragraphs give an explication of the play, the characters, and the author’s explanation of death and the treatment of death in the play. The final paragraph is the conclusion to the analysis. This paragraph will conclude the analysis of the writer’s views as they reflect the meaning of the play.
During the late fifteenth century, an anonymous writer penned a morality play, “Everyman.” Some critics believe that the play is a dark play that makes a number of enlightening points. Steiner (2006) writes “Morality plays [were] introduced in the early fifteenth century [served] as an instrument of the church,” (Steiner, par.1). In addition, the morality plays reflected “Christian values in which moral lessons [were] taught to the audience by means of Vice and Virtue characters,” (Steiner, par.1). At the same time, the morality plays reflected “abstractions [struggling] for possession of man’s soul, thus determining his eternal salvation or damnation,” (Steiner, par.1). In fact, the plays dealt with the temptation of mankind, his fall from grace, and his penitence and retribution or deliverance. Clearly, the different characters in the play symbolize something in the reader’s life. God, the Messenger, Death, and Everyman speak to lesson in morals. While Everyman attempts to make an agreement with Death so as to extend his time on Earth, Death tells him that he has no use for his riches, and, therefore, will not take this riches.
Robison notes that the play is “almost by definition is a sermon placed into dramatic form. The argument from the time on why it was created is whether it is truly a didactic tool or purely a form of dramatic literature,” (Robison, 2011). Arguably, the author of “Everyman” deals with the journey of life and the finality of death. Everyman takes this journey and makes decisions about the correct choices to make in life. The author’s views of death and the way one treats death shows that no one can shy away from death as Death comes from God and shares His message. Nonetheless, Everyman attempts to reach a compromise with Death, but fails in his attempts as Death denies the offers. Death insists that he take these riches because these gifts are useless. Everyman dies eventually, but the question lies in how everyman dies. God provides a way that to save mankind’s spirit from an everlasting death, but this saving grace only comes when mankind accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.
“Everyman” is one of the greatest morality play of all times. A morality play personifies ethical qualities and concepts. As such, the author looks carefully at the significance of friendship, love, death, life, and justice. Everyman serves as a metaphor for all mankind and symbolizes mankind as a whole: males, females, old, and young. The character Everyman, in this play, is symbolic of mankind as a whole; male, female, young, and old. The topic of death in the play causes the reader to look closely at the significance of the diverse circumstances that the author describes right through the play. Interestingly, Death serves as a reminder for Everyman that he must give an account for every good and bad action during his lifetime. However, by the God’s mercy, Everyman possesses the opportunity to re-examine his existence, and correct the wrongs he committed. Death, steadfastly, refreshes Everyman's recollection of the authentic value system. Due to these reminders, Everyman sees an accurate view of his intentions and that of others.
The writer of the play “Everyman” understands the importance of death. Arguably, the author recognizes and supports the idea that one can only get into heaven by performing good deeds on Earth. One could correctly argue that the author views death as something that mankind should honor and respect. It is clear that in searching for the meaning of death, one needs to embrace the explicit truths about oneself and the individuals in one’s life as individuals should treat death with fear and respect. Conversely, the play creates a resounding impact on the readers. The author takes the reader on a journey with Everyman to see God. Throughout the journey, the reader finds that he can also mirror his personal life and see the way other perceive life and the errors they make as they go through life. In fact, a modern day reader of the play can clearly see that the morals of the play are similar to those of the 1400s. Consequently, the reader can meditate on similar occurrences after reading the play.
In addition, the reader finds that the author gives human qualities to strength, beauty, and knowledge among others to help the reader to understand the play better. Similarly, the author makes use of characters that the readers can identify with so as to create a better understanding of the play. The fact is that people must deal with their life and death as there is no escape from both. As with everyday life, Everyman finds that in his time of need, people and things that are of great value and importance leaves him alone. The things that are of importance to Everyman takes on the name they represent. Kindred and Cousin are Everyman’s family, but they desert him when they learn of his destination. Although his kinsmen promise to stay with Everyman forever, they desert him when he asks them to accompany him to meet his end. These characters remind Everyman of the things he had not done for them, and as such they would not follow him on his journey. Clearly, the author teaches the lesson that nothing or no one stays around in desperate times.
At the onset of the play, God and the Messenger first appear. The Messenger delivers a prologue and asks the audience to be attentive and listen carefully to the events such a “moral play”. The Messenger suggests that there is a purpose to the play and that the purpose is in knowing “That of our lives and ending shows/How transitory we be all day,” (“Everyman,” l.5-6). In addition, the play shows how humans change from one condition to another. Undoubtedly, from the onset of the play, there is a clear understanding that the play deals with the experiences of mankind as well as an unconditional focus on the significance of morals in one’s life. The Messenger does not waver as he speaks to the audience. He notes at first sin is sweet, but in the end it causes “the soul to weep” as sooner or later, when one dies, one’s body “lieth in clay”. In addition, the Messenger notes that Jollity, Strength, Fellowship and Beauty fade or deserts one with the passing of time.
Following, the Messenger’s speech, God speaks of the lack of duty mankind displays to Him. God notes that people on the whole live without fear as they forget the Seven Deadly Sins. In fact, mankind lives without any consideration of life beyond the present: “Every man liveth so after his own pleasure,/ And yet of their life they be nothing sure” (l.40-1). In other words, mankind is selfish and lives for personal pleasures even though they are “nothing sure.” The author reveals that God sees everything as it decays “fro year to year” and as a consequence he decides that there must be “reckoning of every man’s person”. The reader recognizes that this “reckoning” reflects an audit of mankind’s soul to determine their final resting place.
Similarly, Everyman attempts to take Goods, his material possessions on his journey, but Goods does not go, and he is left to go alone. Everyman also asks Good Deeds to accompany him, but they, too, refuse to go. In fact, Good Deeds suggest that he ask Knowledge. It is Knowledge that goes with Everyman to purify his soul. The first stop is at Confession. Confession gives Everyman the opportunity to atone for his sins. Once this is done, Good Deeds rises from the ground. Finally, Everyman calls on Beauty, Strength, Discretion, and Five Wits. Initially, they follow him along the journey but quickly depart when they realize that he approaches his grave. This metaphorical journey ends with Good Deeds being the only one that sinks into the grave with Everyman. Agreeably, Walton (n.d) suggests that Good Deeds is “a weak figure who grows stronger as the play progresses, and ultimately accompanies Everyman to his final home.” The lesson that the author brings across here is that mankind cannot take the proverbial gifts one receive in life, but can only take what mankind gives to the world.
“Everyman” is a Christian play that exists to teach the ideologies of religion. The play seeks to strike a chord of fear in the minds of the Christian reader who recognizes the power of God and the fear of the devil. There is no doubt that the play gives an insight into the impact of moral ambitions and as such, the audience understands acceptable and unacceptable behaviors on how to get salvation. Modern readers could become fascinated with the way God starts out by expressing his utter dissatisfaction with mankind and their shallow world. True to today’s standards mankind has become obsessed with material possessions and forgot the Creator who allows them to enjoy such riches. One could say that that the play gives the reader the inclination to understand that Everyman is no exemption to this rule. Clearly, Everyman is similar to the modern man in that he cares about fine, expensive, fine clothing as he is “finely dressed” when he enters. Similarly, he offers death money to prolong his life as he believes that his material wealth is greater than his spiritual wealth.
Quite readily, the reader recognizes the main theme in the play as one that deals with the way mankind leaves this world. The author focuses on how the eternal life while showing that Everyman is his personal destructive agent. Arguably, there is no dramatic tension in the play as the simplicity of the plot allows the reader to grasp the meaning readily. The idea that the things Everyman sees as most valuable are truly not as valuable as he would want them to be. They desert him when he needs those most, and the reader sees that there is nothing greater than the spiritual values one practices in life. This spiritual value takes the form of Good Deeds, and the reader sees that this is the only value that Everyman possesses.
The play answers a number of questions relating to death and the spiritual life. Arguably, the play suggests that there are two answers to the reason for death in God’s creation. On the one hand, God allows for a death to mankind because mankind has forgotten him as the Creator. On the other hand, the Grand Design of creation allows for Everyman’s to live his life and then die. This cycle is necessary for new growth on the earth. As a result, the author shows Death as God’s servant who carries out his works and as a channel through which God desires mankind to give an account of his life. The fact is that is that death is inevitable, whether it is a spiritual of a physical death. The Bible explicitly states “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews, 9:27) and Paul, in the Book of Romans writes that God “will render to each one according to his works” (Rom. 2:6). However, it is clear in the play that mankind will not be saved from death simply because he has done good, but in fact the author suggests that “salvation comes only through God’s mercy and grace” (Titus 3:5; Eph. 2:5,8).
“Everyman,” portrays death exclusively as a warning from “God to get His creation to be kind to Him and ultimately straighten his life out,” (“Refutation of the Doctrine of Death, 2012).
Contrary to the views of a number of critics, “Everyman” does not offer a conventional teaching on the issue of man’s salvation. In fact, the play teaches sacrilege that concerns death and salvation mainly because salvation comes through death. Shostak (2014) writes “the protagonist of Everyman does everything in his power to avert consciousness of death,” which represent the way mankind treat death. Many Christians and non-Christians believe that they can change the time of their deaths. But, death cannot be stopped because of one financial or spiritual status. In fact, the author of “Everyman” suggests that death is inevitable, and one can only go to death by oneself. Interestingly Everyman treats death trivial and believes that he can bargain with the inevitable encounter. The author proves that in the end, Death is a serious matter that should not be taken for granted.
In concluding, the play teaches a valuable lesson that has come across many centuries. One can easily relate to the events in the play as the lessons are similar to present-day. Clearly, mankind places values on things that are not necessarily the things that will get him into the life after earth. God sends his messenger, Death, to reveal to Everyman the folly of his ways. But, similar to the modern day man, Everyman attempts to offer gifts to ensure that he has a longer life. One learns early in the play that death is promised onto all man, but there are no guarantees in salvation. The harsh reality is that salvation comes with way everyman lives his life. Therefore, mankind must be cognizant and fearful of the Creator and as such live a life that God can accept. Everyman learns that in death, one can only take what one gives to others as the gifts one receives in life do not follow to death. In addition, the reader learns that God becomes angry when mankind fails to honor His work and His existence. In fact, this is one time that God justifies death unto everyman.
Reference
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