Everyman

Definition

Everyman is a late 15th-century morality play that personifies humanity's struggles and ultimate accountability in the face of death. The play uses the character of Everyman to represent all of mankind, emphasizing themes of morality, sin, and redemption, while illustrating the importance of one's actions in life. Through the character's journey, the audience is confronted with questions about faith, virtue, and the inevitability of death.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Everyman serves as a reflection of societal values during the late Middle Ages, showcasing the tension between earthly life and spiritual obligations.
2. The play highlights the idea that material wealth and earthly relationships cannot accompany one after death, reinforcing the necessity for personal virtue.
3. Characters such as Fellowship, Goods, and Knowledge interact with Everyman to demonstrate various responses to life's challenges and moral choices.
4. The structure of Everyman is linear, beginning with Everyman's encounter with Death and culminating in his reckoning before God.
5. Everyman's eventual acceptance of his fate emphasizes the play's core message: the importance of living a righteous life in preparation for death.

Review Questions

• How does Everyman exemplify the characteristics of a morality play?
  • Everyman exemplifies the characteristics of a morality play through its use of allegorical characters that represent various aspects of human experience. The protagonist, Everyman, symbolizes all humanity, while other characters such as Fellowship and Goods embody different moral choices and temptations. The central conflict revolves around Everyman's journey towards understanding his own mortality and the moral implications of his life choices, making it a clear representation of morality's role in human existence.
• Discuss the significance of Death as a character in Everyman and its impact on the protagonist's journey.
  • Death plays a crucial role in Everyman by serving as both an antagonist and a catalyst for change. The character's sudden appearance forces Everyman to confront his mortality and reflect on how he has lived his life. This encounter prompts him to seek out others for support, ultimately revealing the transient nature of relationships and material wealth. Death's presence underscores the play's moral message about accountability and encourages audiences to consider their own lives in relation to their eventual fate.
• Evaluate how Everyman's message about morality and redemption relates to contemporary societal values.
  • Everyman's message about morality and redemption remains relevant today as it invites audiences to reflect on their own lives in relation to ethical choices and personal accountability. The play encourages individuals to prioritize virtues over materialism and highlights the universal truth that everyone must face their mortality. This timeless theme resonates with modern society, where issues of integrity, purpose, and the consequences of one's actions continue to provoke thoughtful discussion on what it means to live a meaningful life.

Related terms

Morality Play: A genre of medieval drama that teaches moral lessons through allegorical characters, often contrasting virtues and vices.

Allegory:

A narrative technique where characters and events symbolize deeper meanings or moral lessons beyond the literal storyline.

Death: In the context of Everyman, Death is personified as a character that serves as a reminder of mortality and the consequences of one's actions.