"Everyman" Research Paper

have forgotten their duties to the less fortunate. This prompts God's call for a "reckoning," which Death readily carries out.

Everyman is a Christian morality play written during the 1400s. No one yet knows who wrote this play. It is said that Everyman is the English translation of similar Dutch morality play of the same period called Elckerlijc. Everyman is generally represented as the best and most original example of the English morality play. “Like other morality plays from the late medieval period, it is meant to communicate a simple moral lesson to both educated and illiterate audiences” (Gyamfi & Schmidt, 2011). “Everyman” is about a man who is content with his life when Death calls and tells him about his end. The author has used metaphorical names for characters to show up the moral of the play.

In this case, an English play called Everyman introduced, “ ‘For ye shall hear, how our Heaven-King Calleth Everyman to a general reckoning:* Give audience, and hear what he doth say’”(Doc B). This medieval play focused on death, sin and the final judgment when God decides whether a person is going to heaven or hell. This reflects Middle Ages perception that living on earth is meaningless; it’s afterlife that really matters. Although, Hamlet by William Shakespeare stated, “ ‘What a piece of work is a man… in apprehension like god!’ ”

The author of the play Everyman views death from the Catholic point of view. The moral message to live each day with the goal of eternal life in Heaven in mind sets the tone of the play. Everyman illustrates that every man’s soul needs to be saved before death or he will not have eternal life with God. The author views death as the foundation of man’s spiritual journey with God in Heaven or as the initiation of the soul’s damnation. The author portrays death as God’s messenger. The play underscores a message that the treatment of death is similar for every man, as he is held accountable for his actions and deeds in life upon facing death. Additionally, the only way to avoid death is to strive towards achieving ever-lasting life with God in

Christopher R. Browning’s “Ordinary Men” chronicles the rise and fall of the Reserve Police Battalion 101. The battalion was one of several units that took part in the Final Solution to the Jewish Question while in Poland. The men of Reserve Police Battalion 101, and other units were comprised of ordinary men, from ordinary backgrounds living under the Third Reich. Browning’s premise for the book is very unique, instead of focusing on number of victims, it examines the mindset of how ordinary men, became cold-hearted killers under Nazi Germany during World War II. Christopher Browning’s “Ordinary Men” presents a very strong case that the men who made up the Reserve Police Battalion 101 were indeed ordinary men from ordinary background, and

Abstract The author’s perception and treatment of Everyman are that each individual need to prepare for it by repenting, following God, and doing good works. The author’s perception is that at the end of the day one cannot take anything or anyone with them when they die. The only entity someone can take is their actions and how they use the resources that are given to them. Those who put God before everything and perform good works will enjoy eternity with Him, but those who enjoy only the pleasures of life and forget God, will not. The author’s main message throughout the play is to not fearful of death but know that one day everyone will die, so do as much good as one can, repent of one’s sins, and to put God first. Keywords: author, perception, treatment, death The Author’s Perception and Treatment of Death in Everyman In the late fifteenth century, an unknown author wrote a morality play called Everyman. According to Pearson, a morality play during the Medieval period would communicate a moral lesson and make it so simple that both illiterate and well-educated audiences could both understand the lesson (Adu-Gyamfi, 2016). One may believe that the author of Everyman want to communicate to the audience that everyone will receive judgment the actions they commit on Earth. The author’s perception of death is that God is the only one who has the power to control when each individual die, so if one has a relationship with Him one should not be fearful death. The author

Everyman is a classic play written in the 15th century whose subject is the struggle of the soul. This is a morality play and a good example of transition play linking liturgical drama and the secular drama that came at the end of English medieval period. In the play, death is perceived as tragic and is intensely feared. The protagonist; Everyman, is a person who enjoys the pleasures of life and good company. When he is unexpectedly called by death to account to God for his actions on earth, he is thunderstruck. He is filled with sorrow and

When Everyman learns of his pending death and judgment, he makes an effort to change his lifestyle. Since he does not have a

The play Everyman begins with God commanding his messenger Death to summon “every creature and give account” of their lives. The name Everyman symbolizes mankind who has become “blotted and blind” by worldly riches and have “wend” onto the corrupt path. The author alludes to biblical allusions, “I [suffer] to be dead and “[hang] between two,” to alert people from God’s anger. This imagery evokes desolate tone because Jesus, the savior of mankind, is crucified between two thieves to save man from drowning into sins such as; “pride, covetise, wrath, and lechery.” However the mankind still overlooks Him and hence Death is send to Everyman. The Pardoner’s Tale, begins with three rioters who “daunce [drink and gamble] bothe day and night.” The author portrays this

While observing Everyman going about his business, while their minds are centered on worldly possessions, he is summoned to remain still and asked if he has forgotten that the Lord has provided his blessings. Scripture warns people how easy it is to forget God, appropriately, God appoints Death to warn Everyman. The journey is long, and he is instructed to carry a full book of his

“Everyman” is regarded as a morality play that was written in late 15th century. According to Michael A. Babcock, author of the story of Western culture, “Morality plays can be explained in best ways because of allegories figure out efforts made between seven virtues and seven vices contained in heart of man”. The play is a picture of what Christians should do or how they should spend their lives to save their souls from being convicted by death (Yaw Adu-Gyamfi P.265). The understanding of death in “Everyman” play is influenced by how people live their lives. The play brings out an idea of how people struggle to choose between worldly things and the ultimate spiritual judgment. The conflict between riches, relationship and the spiritual enrichment, heaven and hell and God’s verdict seems to be on the rise in the play. Babcock also states, “Everyman is a struggle between good and evil, between seven virtues as well as seven vices”. (167). we see how life is a transitory, when the play documents Everyman’s journey from sinful life to sin free life and finally to a holy death.

The play Everyman is a perfect representation of public literature from the Renaissance period. The anonymous author reveals through the morality play that 'everyman' should be prepared for judgment at any time because, "Suddenly, [Death] come[s]." (Scene 1, Line 81) This, as with all allegorical works of that period, was constructed under the direction of the Roman Catholic Church to strike fear in to the hearts of men and, in doing so, have power over them. The church succeeded by censoring all works and designing them to fit their purpose.

Philip Roth's novel Everyman (2006) describes death with a coldly realistic eye, although in ways that that offer no comfort for those hoping for atonement or second chances in the afterlife. Like the character in the medieval morality play by the same name, Roth's Everyman is nameless, faceless and anonymous, although both had been materially successful in life. In the 15th Century play, God calls Everyman to account for his sins, but finally allows him into paradise after he confesses them and shows sincere repentance. Roth's main character has no such comfort as his ghost watches his body being buried in an old Jewish cemetery in New Jersey. Few people mourn his passing, apart from his daughter, and no God or angels appear to bring him into paradise. Instead, after the mourners leave he converses with a black gravedigger and finally gives his a tip for performing an excellent burial. In reviewing his life, his greatest regret was ruining his three marriages, particularly his second marriage to Phoebe, who divorced him when he had an affair with a 24-year old Danish model. Although Nancy, his daughter from that marriage, forgives him, Phoebe does not, nor do his sons from his first marriage. Everyman also realizes that no matter that he had made a great deal of money at the advertising agency where he had worked for so many years, he had really wanted to be an artist rather than a middle class success story. In the end, though, he can change none of this and his ghost does

Everyman represents human beings by him being sinful, most of us humans don’t live a sinful life like he once did but we are all not perfect and we do sin once in a while. Everyman lived purely to his own pleasure. Said in line 40 – “ Everyman liveth so after his own pleasure, and yet of their life they be nothing sure.” And that’s what people now and days do.

The protagonist who can also be referred to as the agent of “everyman” is the main character. When all is said and done, it appears that everyman has driven a wild and wicked life. Over the span of the play, he is informed that he is going to bite the dust and subsequently be judged, he also experiences a journey which himself of sin, he is left by the greater part of his companions separated from good deeds and passes on (everyman character list 2015:1). This is when the climax of the play takes place (good deeds agrees to enter the afterlife with everyman) (Westwood