Everyman Analysis Essay Example

a typical human being. “The characters in Everyman represented good and evil that normally involves a struggle for the souls of man.

Death is a messenger sent by God to call Everyman. In the beginning of the play God speaks about how he was crucified to save his people he also mentions the seven deadly sins. God also speaks on how some may have forgotten about whom he is and that people live their lives to please oneself therefore he feels there is neglect. Death was commanded to show Everyman that those who cannot live by Gods rules cannot escape the day of the last judgment. Death delivers the bad news that Everyman day of his final judgment for his sins has come and he shall give account to God. When he heard that his life was coming to an end he then begin to be fearful, for he was to travel and go before God. Everyman pleas and want Death to give him at least another day so he could find someone to accompany him on his final day of judgment.

Time was drawing near and Everyman had many struggles with his absence of knowledge and begins to call upon his earthly friends, he finds out that all of his acquaintances that he cared so deeply for would not comply with the promise they had given him. Everyman’s friends would leave him at his desperate time of need. With friends not being an option anymore, Everyman chooses to ask Good Deeds for help who is weak because there were very little Good Deeds done by him during his life. Good Deeds turns

to her sister Knowledge and ask her to help Everyman on his final trip. Knowledge explains to Everyman on what need to be done for him to become saved then he is guided to Confession.

When Everyman confesses Good Deeds strengthens and join in. Knowledge told Everyman that he must call on his last four friends but as death draws closer the last four of his friends begin to leave him. It was Good Deeds who joined him on his final trip to heaven into eternal life where he would be welcomed by Angels. When it was almost time for the play to end the Doctor speaks that five wits, Discretion, Beauty and Strength will most definitely forsake every man. It is Good Deeds that follows us to eternity and small deeds that are done before God would not be helpful. In other words, Good Deeds done before God are the deeds that will save our souls.

iii. Author’s Perception of Death

Everyman, a medieval morality play personifies abstracts such as Good Deeds and Fellowship. The anonymous author chose great character names that represents and show that everyman will die one day and that no one could run from death. Death is treated and perceived in many societies as the taker of human life. The author perceives death as nothing is as important in life as to when death makes its claim he also recognizes that death has no special someone, it spares no one. When the final journey has been taken no man can return. Death cannot be in a class of being something bad and cruel if one has lived

a righteous life. The author emphasized on the fact that everyman is not ready for death, and death comes when not expected.

The characters in the play portray the parts of life that people live by daily. The author also knows that death never makes warning of its claim or take its time. God has control over death and it’s him who decides when one will take that final journey. Seemed as if the author centered their value on the important question: “What happens when you die”? Everyman focuses on those areas of life that we may find to be important, that part of life must be left behind. The play changes Everyman from being selfish to realization and from fear to peace with Father God. The character Knowledge gave Everyman courage and wisdom to be able to move forward on his final trip. Knowledge leads Everyman to Confession. The author treated the subject of death through a play, so that Everyman could confess and repent. Reality is that our time of confession and salvation is before death comes.

The author made it easy to understand how important it is to make sure that your Good Deeds are done on earth before you die. In the end, Good Deeds is what goes with Everyman to give account to God. In the play overall, death was used as a reminder to Everyman about real values. Through the final days of judgment, Everyman was aware of the truth about people’s intentions and the real meaning of things that he valued most. Death was something that scared Everyman from moment that Death was served Everyman he

tried to bribery to make it go away.

Everyman tried so hard to escape death and nothing would work for him so he just gave up and accepted that he will be making a final trip. Through Everyman’s journey he finally came to a realization that nothing he had in his life was worth holding onto. Death approached Everyman and he was given a chance to change his life and remove all things that had no true meaning. When Good Deeds sent Knowledge to him, he began to transform by confessing. Everyman needed Knowledge so he would know how to deal with the truth about life and death. Good Deeds strength came when faith was the foundation of Everyman. Good Deeds's weakness shows that Everyman's good works cannot be applied towards salvation when he is guilty of unforgiving sin: Faith and good deeds combines. The author made it clear that one cannot go to heaven with good deeds alone. Everyman may have done a few good deeds but it was not enough to get into heaven.

iv. Conclusion

“Everyman” is a morality play that emphasizes on what is inevitable to every human being, death. Death something we shouldn’t be afraid of. The author of this play wants to let its audience know that one should not fear death because there is a better place that awaits us. When we are born we don’t have the knowledge of knowing what’s wrong or right neither do we know what good deeds are. As we grow older we become familiar with our rights and wrongs and we pursue to do good deeds. Many may not

do good deeds but it’s our destiny to do what’s right by the Lord our Savior. One must walk in righteousness while on earth, live holy and give their life completely to the Lord in order to fill a space in heaven. Life after death is Eternal so there should be no fear in death. One life is given while on earth and one should cherish life and appreciate all that God has blessed them with. For God our creator is the only one that knows when death will be knocking at our door.