The Summoning of Everyman

Thesis Statement

"The Summoning of Everyman" is cautionary tale that deals with the fundamental truths concerning life and death. The characters symbolize the carnal desires and principals of Everyman which falls short to include things of a spiritual nature. Everyman is confronted with the finality of death and is found unprepared to answer. Everyman, still functioning in his own fleshly desires, resorts to coercion in hopes to manipulate the outcome to no avail.

Outline:

I. Introduction

II. Characters

III. Author's Perception of Death

IV. Conclusion

i. Introduction

"Everyman" is an English morality play and the author is unknown. This play first appeared in England in the 16th century. It is known to be early medieval play connected with church drama. The morality play "Everyman" is about a man who is content with his life when Death summons and tells him about his end. The author used symbolic names for characters to emphasize the moral of the play. "The characters in an allegory often have no individual personality, but are embodiments of moral qualities and other abstractions" (Allegory, 2010)

ii. Summary of Allegorical Characters

The anonymous author of the play "Everyman" has grippingly named the main character Everyman to symbolize a typical human being. "The characters in the morality play were personifications of good and evil usually involved in a struggle for a man's soul" (Morality Play, 2010). Death is a messenger sent by God to summon Everyman. God is our Maker, Holy and Just. In the beginning of the play God speaks about his death on the cross to give people life, mentions the seven deadly sins, He states that people live for their own pleasures, and how some have forgotten and neglected Him. God then commands Death to show Everyman who is outside of the law of God what must come to him without escape or delay, the day of reckoning for all. Death encounters Everyman and has questioned him about why he has neglected God, "Everyman, stand still! Whither art thou going thus gaily? Hast thou thy Maker forget?" (Anonymous). Death dispenses the bad news that his day of reckoning for his sins has come and he must give account to God. Upon hearing that his time has come to an end he begins to fear his journey to go before God and give an answer to how he lived his life on earth. Everyman bribes Death to give him another day. Everyman's argument is that Death did not give him a warning and now he wants to find a companion to accompany him on this journey of reckoning. As time nears Everyman struggles with his ignorance and therefore begins to seek and call upon his earthly friends such as Fellowship, Kindred, Cousin, and Goods. Everyman discovers that one by one his acquaintances and possessions, whom he held dear to his heart and promised to be with him till the end, all abandon him in his time of need.

After each friend desert Everyman and he is moaning and wondering who will go with him, he calls upon Good Deeds whom he finds on the floor weak. Good Deeds is weak because Everyman has made very few good deeds in his lifetime. Good Deeds calls on her sister Knowledge to help Everyman go on his journey. Knowledge tells Everyman what he must do to be saved and thereafter leads Everyman to Confession. Confession represents the sacrament of penance. Everyman confesses his sins to Confession. Later Good Deeds rises and joins him. Knowledge tells Everyman to call upon the last of his friends Discretion, Strength, Everyman's Five Wits and Beauty. As Everyman nears his grave, one by one his last four friends begin to desert him even Knowledge cannot accompany Everyman into the grave. However, Good Deeds agrees to accompany him to heaven into eternal life. On the other side of death, Angel welcomes Everyman to heaven.

At the end of the play the character Doctor who is a scholar who conveys words of admonition. Doctor tells all that at the end all of which we hold dear to heart such as Beauty, Strength, Discretion, and Five Wits will surely forsake every man. Good Deeds is what we should always work on and the only thing that goes with us to eternity. The Doctor warns that if our "deeds are small before God there will be no help, there are no amends after death even mercy and pity will forsake us" (Anonymous).

iii. Author's Perception of Death

"The medieval morality play Everyman, personifying