Play \"Everyman\" Is a 15th

¶ … play "Everyman" is a 15th century morality play, an extremely popular form of writing at the time. Written essentially to publicize the beliefs of church and state, they were still extremely popular with the general public, who used them to formulate their own thoughts about ethical dilemmas and other problems of everyday life. These texts were discussed, mused over, and dissected at the time, and "Everyman" is especially relevant, because the protagonist, Everyman, is facing death, and it was such a common worry at the time this piece was written that it touched a chord with readers. How this character deals with death is the main theme of this play and the ultimate moral of the play is death is inevitable, and it could happen tomorrow, so people should live their lives as morally and spiritually as possible, for they never know what faces them tomorrow.

The main character is well named, because he is indeed "Everyman." He is meant to represent all men, including the deeds they complete on Earth and what will offer them entrance into Heaven. In the beginning of this short morality play, Everyman thinks of only himself, according to the Angel of Death, who is setting out to find him. The Angel says, "His mind is on fleshly lust and his treasure" (Anonymous). However, the Angel of Death will tell him to face his mortality, and that he must make a pilgrimage to God to plead his case as to why he belongs in Heaven. Along the way, he will learn more about himself, his friends, and what really matters in life, and that is the most important aspect of this play.

The text indicates that at first, Everyman, like most people, is afraid of Death, and does not want to face his day of reckoning. He says, "To give a reckoning longer leisure I crave; / This blind matter troubleth my wit" (Anonymous). Later, he puts his feelings even more bluntly. He says, "Full unready I am such reckoning to give / I know thee not: what messenger art thou?" (Anonymous). His words apply to everyone, (again, his name is "Everyman"), because few people look forward to death, and most would do just about anything to outrun it. One of Everyman's lessons that he must learn on his journey is to accept death, and hence, the text is a lesson to all people to live good and decent lives, and there will be no reason to fear the hereafter.

Throughout the play, Everyman converses with the Angel, his friends, and ultimately he speaks to God when he finally accepts his fate and goes willingly to God's command. Each of the people in the play represents a positive factor of Everyman's life, from Beauty to Knowledge and Strength. While they converse with Everyman in the play, they are really talking to a much broader audience - those who read the play in the 15th century and beyond. The play is entertaining, it is even funny at times, but it exists to makes its point, that in death, everything will desert you but your own deeds and morals. Along the way to his lord's to plead his case, Everyman gathers supporters and friends to help him show what he has accomplished in his life. However, when they discover that Everyman is going to his death, they eventually all desert him, indicated the shallowness of friendships based on greed and personal interests. Thus, while literally Everyman and his friends discuss the inevitability of death in the play, in reality the play does not exist for Everyman, but rather for everyman who listens to it. As this, it is an extension of the church and state of the time, which controlled religion and hence controlled what the people read, and to an extent, what they thought, which is evidenced by this play.

In the same vein, in the play, God, and God's messengers are speaking to Everyman, but again, they are really speaking to all people in an attempt to show them how to live better and more fulfilling lives. Everyman represents all people, but so do the other characters in this play, who slowly desert Everyman as he nears his journey's end. Thus, this is a morality play for Everyman, but it is also a morality play for those who may not be yet facing death, but desert those they know when they are most in need. It is a play about facing one's fate with dignity, but also controlling that fate by being a better person long before confronting one's fate. Thus, the play speaks to everyone, but more, it speaks to those who have the wit and wisdom to listen, and those who have faith in their own ascent to Heaven someday. The audience is not everyone, because some people simply would not find any relevant information in this message, sad but true. However, everyone who comes in contact with this play could learn something, if they would allow themselves to learn and believe, and so, the play still is applicable to everyone, even if they choose not to listen to the message and morality of the play.

The text is written in an archaic form of English that has been translated many times, but it is still fairly easy to read and understand. This is another way it continues to reach the masses, as it was intended to do when it was first written. The translations into other languages help, of course, but initially, plays and manuscripts such as this were performed in medieval towns, but they were also treated as oral works. They were passed from storyteller to storyteller, which is how much of the medieval population got their news, since most could not read, and the printing press, though invented, helped distribute works but did not help the literate population who could not enjoy them.

It is impossible to measure how much this text actually affected the audience and made them contemplate their own lives. However, since the text still exists, and has been translated and saved through the ages, it would seem that it had a profound effect on at least some people, or they would not have chosen to translate it and perpetuate for so long. In addition, it is still studied in the schools of the world, making it an important and still relevant work. Has it made a difference in lives since then? Perhaps. The text is indeed thought provoking and even a bit stunning as the reader begins to contemplate what is really important about life, and what is not. In fact, it would seem that many who really read this text might come away with a different outlook about what is important and how they should live their lives, which is exactly the point of the reading.

One of the aspects of the text that is most thought provoking is the fact that Everyman's friends all swear their loyalty to him, but they fall by the wayside during the journey, leaving him to face death alone, except for Good-deeds, who remains with him until the very end. Of course, this is a reminder that the good deeds you perform in life will never go unnoticed, especially if you perform them unselfishly without any desire for recognition or reward. All of his other "friends," such as Fellowship, refuse to stay with him to the end, even though they have pledged their loyalty. Fellowship says, "In faith, then will not I come there! / Who hath you these tidings brought?" (Anonymous). This is proof that friendships can die, and people will desert us in times of need, and the only thing we can truly rely on is ourselves and the good will and good deeds we perform during our lives. Everyman has to learn this lesson the hard way as he is abandoned during his journey, but hopefully, this text will save others from the same fate. It indicates we should put our trust in God, not our friends, and that ultimately we cannot take friends, wealth, or anything else with us to the afterlife, just the good things we have accomplished in our life. That is what we should strive to be remembered for, and the only thing that really matters when life is evaluated at the end.