“This is a late example of a kind of medieval drama known as the morality play. Morality plays . . . have a primarly religious purpose, but there method of attaining it is different. Both mysteries and moralities addressed questions of the ultimate fate of the soul” (Norton 463).
If you have time I strongly recommend reading it. It is one of those works you really can’t put down because it is so visual. I even recommend reading it with your children (if you start out young they can begin to understand the significance of such works—they may not understand the literature but they will definitely understand the visual representation). Among many other wonderful literary works, this is definitely one I will incorporate into my child’s reading.
Here is a link to the actual play:
This is the plot summary, to get you interested, provided by Wikipedia:
The play opens with a messenger speaking to the audience. He tells them to listen and watch the play and learn the lesson within. Then God is the next to speak giving a monologue about his troubles. He complains about how humans have become too absorbed in material wealth and riches to follow Him. He feels taken for granted, because He receives no appreciation for all that He has given them. God summons Death, His messenger, and tells him to go to Everyman and summon him to heaven to make his reckoning. It is then that he will be killed then judged.
Upon hearing this, Everyman is distressed as he does not have a proper account of his life prepared. Everyman tries to bribe Death and asks for more time. Death denies this request but tells Everyman he may find a companion for his journey, someone to speak for his good virtues.
Fellowship, representing a person's friends, happens along and promises to go anywhere with Everyman. However, when Fellowship hears of the true nature of Everyman's journey, he immediately refuses to go. Fellowship says that he would stay with Everyman were they having fun, but will not accompany him on such a journey. It is here established that Fellowship is a personification of the "fair weather friend."
Everyman then sees Kindred and Cousin, who represent family, and asks them to go with him. Kindred flat out refuses, saying he'd rather go to parties and Cousin says, "No, I have a cramp in my toe," so he can't go either. Cousin also presents a fundamental reason why no one will accompany Everyman: they have their own accounts to write as well.
Everyman realizes that he has put much love towards Goods, so Goods will surely come with him on his journey with Death. Goods will not come with Everyman; he says that because Everyman concentrated so much effort on Goods during his life, Goods' presence would make Everyman's case even worse.
Everyman then turns to Good Deeds. Good Deeds says she would go with him, but she is too weak as Everyman has not loved her. She sends her sister Knowledge with Everyman, and together they go to see Confession.
There, Everyman repents for all his sins, and punishes himself with a scourge. Confession gives Everyman a jewel called Penance. Everyman is now absolved of all sins, and Good Deeds becomes strong enough to accompany Everyman on his journey. Knowledge gifts Everyman with a garment made from her own tears, called Contrition. Good Deeds summons Beauty, Strength, Discretion and Everyman's Five Wits to join them. They all agree to go with him, after he goes to a priest to take sacrament.
Again, when Everyman tells them where his journey ends, all but Good Deeds forsake him. This is because beauty, strength, discretion, and the five wits are qualities that leave a person as they get older. Knowledge cannot accompany him beyond the point where he leaves his physical body. Everyman gets into his grave. Everyman and Good Deeds ascend into heaven, where they are welcomed by an Angel. A Doctor, representing a scholar, then explains the moral of the story: that in the end, a person will only have his Good Deeds to accompany him beyond the grave.
My thoughts:
**To provide but mere “clues,” because literature is mainly what YOU get out of it, these might help transform your reading: remember that “Everyman,” represents “every man,” so this play, through the personification of the main character, represents us all. It is, visually, more impacting to remember this; it makes you feel as though you are the one accountable, you are the one in the play. Other good thoughts to chew on— as already mentioned in the summary— we don’t believe, as LDS, that we don’t take our knowledge with us when we die; this was a belief back in this day and age, and is a belief still held by some today. People believed that knowledge wasn’t universal (not everyone had the chance to receive an education), and salvation was universal, thus the reason knowledge could only lead Everyman to the grave and not to heaven. Another, simpler, way of looking at it: If Everyman was to represent every man (especially when the plays were being performed live—the morality play being something everyone could be influenced by) everyone had to be on the same footing, equal playing field, if you will. I also thought it powerful to see that Five Wits, Discretion, Strength, and Beauty are things the Lord gives us to help us in THIS LIFE, but they are of no value to our immortal soul; yet how many of us place emphasis on them? The only thing that went with Everyman to heaven: Good Deeds—something that was buried in the earth because of Everyman’s neglect, something he had to resurrect in order to receive his salvation. And it is only through her sister, Knowledge, wherein Everyman learns the ordinances important to his salvation: repentance, contrition, baptism, partaking of the sacrament (Christ's blood/body), and marriage (although the play never reveals Everymans marriage).
A pretty profound, pretty brilliant, way of putting life in perspective.
**To provide but mere “clues,” because literature is mainly what YOU get out of it, these might help transform your reading: remember that “Everyman,” represents “every man,” so this play, through the personification of the main character, represents us all. It is, visually, more impacting to remember this; it makes you feel as though you are the one accountable, you are the one in the play. Other good thoughts to chew on— as already mentioned in the summary— we don’t believe, as LDS, that we don’t take our knowledge with us when we die; this was a belief back in this day and age, and is a belief still held by some today. People believed that knowledge wasn’t universal (not everyone had the chance to receive an education), and salvation was universal, thus the reason knowledge could only lead Everyman to the grave and not to heaven. Another, simpler, way of looking at it: If Everyman was to represent every man (especially when the plays were being performed live—the morality play being something everyone could be influenced by) everyone had to be on the same footing, equal playing field, if you will. I also thought it powerful to see that Five Wits, Discretion, Strength, and Beauty are things the Lord gives us to help us in THIS LIFE, but they are of no value to our immortal soul; yet how many of us place emphasis on them? The only thing that went with Everyman to heaven: Good Deeds—something that was buried in the earth because of Everyman’s neglect, something he had to resurrect in order to receive his salvation. And it is only through her sister, Knowledge, wherein Everyman learns the ordinances important to his salvation: repentance, contrition, baptism, partaking of the sacrament (Christ's blood/body), and marriage (although the play never reveals Everymans marriage).
A pretty profound, pretty brilliant, way of putting life in perspective.
1 comments:
Intriguing . . . I cannot wait to read the play . . I am not feeling well, so I think I will read it today!
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