Edunes Online Education
University: Rabindranath Tagore University (RTU), Hojai, Assam
Course: BA ENGLISH (Honours)
EVERYMAN
Edunes Online Education
Q1. How does Everyman's allegory represent British society and politics?
The allegory in Everyman represents British society and politics by illustrating a worldview where earthly status and material wealth are subordinate to divine judgment. While primarily a religious "moral play," its personified abstractions reflect the social structures, institutional power, and moral anxieties of its time.
Representation of British Society:
The play critiques the social fabric of the period, portraying a society that has become "blind" to spiritual matters due to an obsession with wealth and personal pleasure.
Critique of Materialism: The character of
Goods represents the growing importance of material wealth in society.
The play warns that "worldly riches" are merely
"lent" to individuals and that an over-reliance on them leads to spiritual
"damnation." God laments that people are so
"cumbered with worldly riches" that they have forgotten charity.
Fragility of Social Bonds: Through
Fellowship,
Kindred, and
Cousin, the allegory represents the transience of human relationships.
Fellowship is willing to join Everyman for "sport and play" or even to help him commit
"murder," but refuses to accompany him on his spiritual journey.
This reflects a social critique of "fair-weather" friends who are present in
"prosperity" but absent in "adversity."
The Role of the Church: The society depicted is deeply rooted in the sacramental life of the
Church. The play emphasizes that
Priesthood "exceedeth all other thing" because priests have the authority to handle the
"blessed sacraments" necessary for salvation.
It explicitly identifies the seven sacraments—baptism,
confirmation,
priesthood,
marriage,
extreme unction, and
penance—as the
"medicine" for the soul.
Representation of Politics and Power:
The play addresses political authority by placing earthly power within a larger, cosmic hierarchy.
Earthly vs. Divine Hierarchy: Everyman asserts the absolute authority of God as the
"high father of heaven" and the
"highest Jupiter." Worldly political titles are shown to be powerless against the
"summons" of Death. Death explicitly states that he has no regard for
"pope, emperor, king, duke, ne princes" and cannot be bribed with
"gold, silver, nor riches."
Authority of the Priesthood: The play reflects contemporary political-religious tensions by asserting that even the
"least priest" has a divine commission that surpasses that of any
"emperor, king, duke, ne baron." Priests are described as being
"above angels in degree" because of their power to
"unbind all bands."
Institutional Corruption: The text also provides a glimpse into political and social critiques of the Church.
Through the character of Knowledge, the play acknowledges that
"sinful priests" exist—those who lead
"unclean" lives or
"buy or sell" their offices
(simony). This suggests a society that was increasingly aware of and vocal about institutional corruption.
In summary, the allegory serves the syllabus objective of exploring British life by showing how medieval social values and political hierarchies were fundamentally framed by a preoccupation with mortality and religious accountability.
Q2. How does the play portray institutional corruption?
In the play Everyman, institutional corruption is portrayed through a nuanced critique that distinguishes between the divine authority of the priesthood and the moral failings of individual clergy members. While the play maintains a high respect for the ecclesiastical office, it explicitly addresses the ways in which that office is sometimes abused.
The Distinction Between Office and Individual
The character Knowledge introduces a significant
"if" regarding the holiness of the clergy, stating,
"If priests be good it is so surely," implying that their spiritual superiority is contingent upon their personal conduct.
While Five-Wits argues that the priesthood "exceedeth all other thing" and that priests are "above angels in degree" because they handle the sacraments, Knowledge provides a sobering counterpoint regarding institutional rot.
Specific Forms of Corruption
- Simony (Buying and Selling of Spiritual Grace): Knowledge warns that "Jesu's curse" falls upon those who "buy or sell" God their Saviour, or take money for spiritual services. It is emphasized that when Jesus gave the sacraments, "He sold them not to us," contrasting divine generosity with the greed of corrupt officials.
- Sexual Immorality and Lechery: The text identifies priests who lead "unclean" lives and "haunteth women’s company." This critique of lechery suggests a failure to uphold vows of celibacy, thereby making these figures "with sin made blind."
- Domestic Scandals: Knowledge mentions the social consequences of corrupt clergy, noting that "their children sitteth by other men's fires," a reference to the illegitimacy and social disruption caused by priests who fathered children despite their religious standing.
The Social Impact of Corruption
The play suggests that institutional corruption has a
trickle-down effect on the rest of society.
Knowledge observes that
"sinful priests giveth the sinners example bad."
By failing to live up to their "heavenly sphere," these corrupt individuals fail in their role as "shepherds" to the "sheep" (the laity), potentially leading the people toward damnation rather than salvation.
In the context of the syllabus, this portrayal illustrates the
tensions within British society during the late medieval period,
where the absolute necessity of the Church's sacraments for salvation
coexisted with a growing and vocal awareness of
human fallibility and
systemic corruption within the Church hierarchy.
Q3. How do priests differ from angels in the play?
In the play Everyman, priests are portrayed as holding a higher spiritual authority and degree than angels because of their unique sacramental powers on earth.
The sources outline the following key differences between them:
- Sacramental Authority: God has given priests more power than "any angel that is in heaven" because priests have the authority to perform the sacraments. Specifically, a priest can use "five words" to consecrate the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, effectively handling his "maker between his hands."
- Binding and Unbinding: Unlike angels, priests have the commission to "bindeth and unbindeth all bands, both in earth and in heaven." They are described as the "surgeons" who cure "sin deadly," and the play asserts there is no spiritual remedy under God except through the priesthood.
- Spiritual Degree: Because they act in God's "stead among us," the text explicitly states that priests are "above angels in degree."
- Human Fallibility: A critical distinction is that while angels are part of the "heavenly company," priests are human and capable of corruption. The character Knowledge adds the caveat that priests are only above angels "if priests be good." The play acknowledges that "sinful priests" exist who lead "unclean" lives and set bad examples for their "sheep" (the laity).
- Functional Roles: Within the drama, Angels serve as celestial messengers and welcomers who receive the souls of the "elect" into the "heavenly sphere" once their reckoning is "crystal-clear." Priests, meanwhile, are the essential earthly guides who provide the "holy sacrament and ointment" (Extreme Unction) that Everyman needs to prepare for his final journey.
Q5. (i) How do priests handle God between their hands?
(ii) What are the five words used to consecrate God's body?
(iii) How do sinful priests set a bad example for society?
(iv) How do priests act as surgeons for the soul?
5(i). How do priests handle God “between their hands” in Everyman?
In the play Everyman, priests are described as handling God "between their hands" through the sacrament of the altar, or the Eucharist.
The character Five-Wits explains that this occurs during the act of consecration:
- The Power of Five Words: A priest has been given the divine power to "consecrate God's body in flesh and blood to make" by speaking only "five words."
- Handling the Maker: Through this sacramental act, the priest physically "handleth his maker"—referring to Jesus Christ—between his hands in the form of the consecrated bread and wine.
- Superiority to Angels: This specific ability to handle the "holy body" of God is why the play asserts that priests have more power than "any angel that is in heaven" and are "above angels in degree."
- Earthly Agency: Because they perform this role, priests are seen as acting in God's "stead among us," serving as the "surgeons" who cure "sin deadly" through the administration of the seven sacraments.
5(ii). What are the “five words” of consecration in Everyman?
The sources provided do not explicitly state which specific words constitute the "five words" used for consecration.
According to the text, Five-Wits highlights the immense power of the priesthood by noting that a priest, with only
"five words," has the divine authority to
"consecrate God's body in flesh and blood to make."
Through this act, the priest
"handleth his maker between his hands,"
a power the play describes as exceeding even that of angels.
Information from outside these sources—specifically from the historical and religious context of the medieval Catholic Mass which the play reflects—indicates that these
"five words" refer to the Latin formula of consecration:
Hoc est enim corpus meum
(translated as "For this is my body.")
In the play, however, this specific phrase is never scripted. Everyman leaves the stage to receive the sacraments from a priest and then returns after the ceremony is complete, reinforcing the sacred mystery of the rite rather than dramatizing its exact wording.
5(iii). How do sinful priests set a bad example in Everyman?
According to the sources, sinful priests set a bad example for society by failing to live up to the high spiritual standards of their office, thereby leading the laity—described as their "sheep"—astray.
The text highlights several specific ways these
"bad examples" manifest:
- Financial Corruption (Simony): The character Knowledge explains that some priests "buy or sell" God or take money for spiritual services. This is portrayed as a betrayal of Christ, who "sold them not to us" when he gave the sacraments out of his "blessed heart."
- Sexual Immorality: The play critiques priests who "haunteth women’s company" and lead an "unclean life" filled with the "lusts of lechery."
- Social and Domestic Scandals: Knowledge mentions that the children of corrupt priests "sitteth by other men's fires," suggesting that their personal failings create social disruption and illegitimate family situations visible to the community.
- Spiritual Blindness: Because of these actions, these priests are "with sin made blind." This is especially damaging because priests are meant to be the "surgeons that cureth sin deadly." When the "shepherds" are blind and sinful, they provide a "bad example" to the sinners they are meant to convert and lead toward heaven.
Ultimately, while the play asserts that the office of the priesthood is
"above angels in degree," it clarifies that this dignity only holds
"if priests be good."
When they are not, they undermine the "surety" and salvation of the people they are commissioned to protect.
5(iv). Why are priests described as “surgeons” in Everyman?
In the play Everyman, priests are metaphorically described as surgeons because they possess the unique divine authority to "cureth sin deadly." This image presents sin as a mortal wound and the priest as the only qualified spiritual physician.
According to the sources, this spiritual surgery is performed through the following means:
- The Seven Sacraments as Medicine: The text describes the seven sacraments— baptism, confirmation, priesthood, the Eucharist (God's precious flesh and blood), marriage, extreme unction, and penance—as the "medicine" provided by God for the "soul's redemption."
- Binding and Unbinding: Just as a surgeon might bind a wound or remove an obstruction, a priest has the commission to "bindeth and unbindeth all bands" both on earth and in heaven. This power enables the priest to "unbind" the soul from the weight of sin.
- Conversion from Sin: Priests act as surgeons by teaching Holy Scripture and converting humanity from sin so they may "heaven to reach." Five-Wits asserts that there is "no remedy... under God" for the soul’s condition except through the priesthood.
- Healing the “Smart”: When Everyman undergoes confession and penance, he is told he will "heal [himself] of [his] smart" (his spiritual wound). By receiving the "holy sacrament and ointment" (Extreme Unction) from a priest, his reckoning becomes "crystal-clear" before God.
Ultimately, the play positions the priest as an essential spiritual doctor because, while other earthly companions (such as
Beauty or
Strength) fail at the grave, the priest provides the necessary
"soul's succour" to ensure the individual’s eternal survival.
Q6. What is the role of the Seven Sacraments in Everyman?
In the play Everyman, the Seven Sacraments are portrayed as the essential "soul's medicine" and the primary means for "man's redemption." They are described as "gracious sacraments of high divinity" that God gave to humanity "out of his heart" through his suffering and passion.
The play explicitly lists the seven sacraments as:
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Priesthood
- The sacrament of God's precious flesh and blood (the Eucharist)
- Marriage
- Holy Extreme Unction
- Penance
Role and Significance of the Sacraments
- Necessity for Salvation: The text asserts that there is "no remedy... under God" for the soul’s deadly sins except through the priesthood and the sacraments they administer. Through them, a person’s reckoning becomes "crystal-clear" before God.
- The Power of the Priesthood: Priests are the designated ministers of these sacraments, described as bearing the "keys" to them. Because they administer these rites, priests are called the "surgeons that cureth sin deadly" and are held in a degree "above angels."
-
Specific Roles of Individual Sacraments:
1. Penance: Described as a "precious jewel" and a "wise voider of adversity," penance involves the "scourge" of bodily chastisement and abstinence, ultimately leading the sinner to the "oil of forgiveness."
2. Eucharist and Extreme Unction: As Everyman nears death, he is advised to receive the "holy sacrament and ointment together." He later confirms that receiving the "sacrament for [his] redemption" and "extreme unction" provides the "true satisfaction" needed for his final journey. - Divine Authority: The sacraments carry a weight exceeding any earthly power. No "emperor, king, duke, ne baron" holds the divine commission that even the "least priest" possesses to administer these "pure and benign" sacraments.
By following the doctrine of the priesthood and receiving these sacraments, the
"sheep" (the laity) are
"kept in surety" and prepared for their final reckoning before God.
Q7. Why does God describe Everyman as a traitor deject?
God describes Everyman as "traitors deject" because humanity has collectively turned away from its divine purpose and creator in favour of worldly sin and material wealth.
According to the sources, several specific reasons justify this description:
- Ingratitude for Life and Blessings: God laments that people do not thank him for their "being" (life), which he has only "lent" to them, nor for the pleasures he intended for them to enjoy in his glory.
- Betrayal of Christ's Sacrifice: God highlights the ultimate betrayal by noting that people have "forgot clean" the shedding of his "blood red" and the suffering he endured when he "hanged between two" to give them life. He states that despite doing all he could, the people "do clean forsake" him.
- Embracing Deadly Sins: Instead of following divine law, Everyman has made the "seven deadly sins damnable"—such as pride, greed (covetise), wrath, and lechery—appear "commendable" in the world.
- Spiritual Blindness and Materialism: Humanity is described as "drowned in sin" and "blind" to spiritual sight because their minds are entirely focused on "worldly riches" and "worldly prosperity".
- Lack of Charity: God observes that people have "clean forget" charity and have become "worse than beasts," driven by envy to "up eat" one another.
Essentially, because God had "elect" Everyman to live in his glory but found them living "without fear" of his justice and ignoring his mercy, he views them as having betrayed their covenant with him.
Q8. How does God view humanity's focus on worldly riches?
God views humanity's preoccupation with worldly riches as a form of
spiritual blindness that leads to the total abandonment
of divine law and charity. According to the text, God’s perspective is
defined by the following observations:
Spiritual Blindness:
God perceives that because "in worldly riches is all their mind," the people
have become "blind" to "ghostly [spiritual] sight". He notes that they are
"drowned in sin" and no longer recognize Him as their God.
Ingratitude and Betrayal:
God views those focused on prosperity as
"unkind" and
"traitors deject".
He laments that they "forget clean" the sacrifice of His "blood red" and the
"pleasure" and "being" He has "lent" to them, choosing instead to live only
for their own "fleshly lusts" and "treasure".
Degradation of Character:
The focus on wealth causes people to "clean forget"
charity.
God observes that this obsession makes humans
"much worse than beasts",
as they become consumed by envy and "one would by envy another up eat".
The Burden of Wealth:
God describes humanity as being
"cumbered with worldly riches".
This "cumbering" acts as a weight that prevents them from seeking His mercy,
which He "proffered" in great multitude but which "few there be that asketh it heartily".
Necessity of Justice:
Because humanity lives "without fear" in their worldly prosperity,
God determines that He "must do justice". This leads Him to summon
Death to mandate a "general reckoning,"
forcing Everyman to account for his life and show his "book of count"
before the "chief lord of paradise".
Ultimately, God sees worldly riches as a
temporary loan—something merely "lent" to man—
that becomes a "snare" or a "thief" to the soul when loved more than the
"Lord above".
Q9. Discuss Everyman as an allegorical morality play. How does the use of allegory help convey the moral message of the text?
Focus: Characters as abstracts like Fellowship, Goods, Knowledge etc., symbolizing aspects of life and humanity’s spiritual journey.
Focus: Characters as abstracts like Fellowship, Goods, Knowledge etc., symbolizing aspects of life and humanity’s spiritual journey.
Everyman, a foundational text in the course
"Drama: 16th and 17th Century," stands as a definitive example of a
15th-century morality play. The play is described
as a moral "treatise" designed to show how God sends Death to summon every
human being to account for their lives. Its central power lies in its use of
allegory—a literary device in which abstract ideas
such as friendship, wealth, strength, and knowledge are personified as characters.
Through this structure, the play transforms complex theological doctrine into a
dramatic and relatable spiritual journey,
emphasizing the transitory nature of life and the necessity of presenting a clear
"book of count" before the "chief lord of paradise."
The allegorical framework is established at the very beginning through the
Messenger, who warns the audience that life is
"transitory" and that the sweetness of sin ultimately leads the "soul to weep"
when the "body lieth in clay." This prepares the audience for God’s lament
that humanity is "blind" to "ghostly sight" and "drowned in sin." By personifying
God and Death,
the play establishes a cosmic hierarchy in which human life is not owned but merely
"lent" by the Creator. Death becomes the unavoidable
agent of divine justice, summoning Everyman to a final reckoning.
The first major stage of Everyman’s journey reveals the
failure of social relationships.
Characters such as Fellowship,
Kindred, and
Cousin represent external human supports.
Fellowship initially promises loyalty "unto my life's end" and even offers
companionship in sinful pleasures. However, when he learns that Everyman’s
journey is a permanent pilgrimage toward death, he refuses to go. This exposes
the superficial nature of social bonds, teaching that companions are loyal in
prosperity but "full unkind" in adversity. Similarly, Kindred and Cousin,
representing family ties, abandon Everyman with weak excuses, symbolizing that
even blood relations cannot accompany a person beyond death.
The allegory intensifies with the introduction of
Goods, the personification of material wealth.
Found "trussed and piled so high" in chests and bags, Goods cannot move and
bluntly informs Everyman that his love for wealth is "contrary to the love everlasting."
Goods declares that his very condition is "man's soul to kill" and calls himself
a "thief" to the soul. Through this powerful
personification, the play condemns materialism and warns that riches are a
spiritual snare. Wealth, rather than helping at death, only deepens spiritual blindness.
As Everyman approaches his grave, the play presents internal attributes such as
Beauty, Strength,
Discretion, and
Five-Wits. These represent physical attractiveness,
bodily power, judgment, and human senses. Initially, they promise steadfast loyalty.
However, when Everyman reaches the "cave" of his grave and physical decay begins,
these qualities abandon him. Strength admits that the "game liketh me not at all,"
and Discretion follows once Strength departs. This allegorical episode symbolizes
the inevitable physical and mental decline that accompanies death, reinforcing the
message that all earthly qualities fail.
The turning point in the play is marked by the arrival of
Knowledge and
Good-Deeds. Good-Deeds is initially found lying
"cold in the ground," too weak to move because Everyman’s sins have "sore bound" her.
This striking image represents a neglected moral life. If a person fails to practice
charity and virtue, their good deeds will be powerless at the moment of death.
Knowledge, acting as a guide, leads Everyman to
Confession, described as a cleansing source in the
"house of salvation." Through penance and forgiveness, Good-Deeds regains strength
and becomes capable of accompanying Everyman to his final reckoning. This reinforces
the religious doctrine that repentance and righteous action are essential for salvation.
In the final movement of the play, an
Angel receives Everyman’s soul into the heavenly sphere,
signifying divine acceptance. The
Doctor then addresses the audience directly,
summarizing the moral lesson. He urges listeners to forsake pride and remember that
while Beauty, Strength, and Discretion all abandon humanity, only Good-Deeds
accompanies the soul before God. The Doctor ensures that the allegory’s meaning is
unmistakably clear to the audience.
In conclusion, the allegorical structure of
Everyman transforms abstract theological concepts
into vivid dramatic characters, making the message accessible and memorable.
By personifying aspects of social life, material wealth, physical attributes,
and spiritual virtues, the play illustrates the progressive stripping away of
worldly attachments. Allegory allows the audience to witness, step by step, the
truth that life is temporary and that only moral action endures beyond the grave.
Through this method, the play powerfully conveys that while earthly life may begin
"sweet," the only enduring companion in the final reckoning is
Good-Deeds, guiding the faithful soul into eternal peace.
Q10. Examine the central theme of morality and salvation in Everyman. How does the play portray the transience of worldly pleasures in contrast to Good Deeds?
Focus: Theme of true worth of good deeds and spiritual readiness for death.
Focus: Theme of true worth of good deeds and spiritual readiness for death.
The 15th-century morality play Everyman functions as a didactic "treatise" intended to illustrate the "transitory" nature of human life and the absolute necessity of spiritual preparation for death. Through its allegorical structure, the play examines the central themes of morality and salvation, arguing that while worldly pleasures and physical attributes are ephemeral, only Good-Deeds possess the "true worth" required to secure a soul’s passage into the "heavenly sphere". This exploration is framed within a cosmic hierarchy where humanity’s "fleshly lusts" are contrasted against the "rightwiseness" of God.
The Transience of Worldly Pleasures
The play begins with a divine indictment of humanity. God laments that creatures are "drowned in sin" and "blind" to spiritual sight because their minds are entirely consumed by "worldly riches" and "prosperity". This preoccupation with the material world is presented as a form of spiritual treason, as humanity has "clean forget" the "charity" and the sacrifice of Christ’s "blood red". To address this, God sends Death, His "mighty messenger," to summon Everyman to a "general reckoning" from which there is no escape.
The portrayal of transitory pleasures is most vividly realized through Everyman’s interactions with Fellowship and Goods.
Fellowship represents social joy and the comfort of human companionship. Initially, he promises to stay with Everyman "unto my life's end," even offering to assist in "murder" or "sport and play". However, the moment he learns that Everyman’s journey is a "pilgrimage" to the grave with no return, Fellowship reveals his "unkind" nature and departs "as fast as I may". This illustrates the moral that social bonds are limited to the "clear day" of prosperity and offer no "succour" in the face of death.
Goods (material wealth) serves as a more severe critique of worldly values. Goods is found "trussed and piled" in chests and bags, physically unable to assist Everyman. He explicitly tells Everyman that "my love is contrary to the love everlasting" and that his "condition is man's soul to kill". Goods mocks Everyman for thinking wealth was a permanent possession, clarifying that it was only "lent" for a season. Instead of helping the reckoning, Goods has made Everyman's account "blotted and blind," proving that material accumulation is a "snare" rather than a virtue.
Even Everyman’s internal attributes—Beauty, Strength, Discretion, and Five-Wits—are shown to be transitory. Though they promise to stay with him "unto death's hour," they all flee as he approaches the "cave" of his grave. Strength declares that the "game liketh me not at all," and Beauty simply refuses to "smother" in the earth. This systematic desertion reinforces the play’s core message: "All thing faileth, save God alone".
The True Worth of Good Deeds
In stark contrast to these fleeing companions, Good-Deeds represents the only enduring value. When Everyman first finds her, she is "weak," "cold in the ground," and "sore bound" by his sins, unable to even stand. This visual allegory demonstrates that a life lived without "charity" leaves one’s spiritual record paralyzed and "full unready" for the "chief lord of paradise".
The path to salvation and the restoration of Good-Deeds is facilitated by Knowledge, who acts as a "guide" to the "house of salvation". Here, the play emphasizes the institutional requirements of the Church—specifically Confession and Penance. By undergoing the "scourge of penance" and wearing the "garment of sorrow" (contrition), Everyman is able to "heal [himself] of [his] smart". This spiritual cleansing allows Good-Deeds to become "whole and sound," rising from the ground to accompany Everyman on his pilgrimage.
Spiritual Readiness and the Final Reckoning
The final stage of salvation involves the Seven Sacraments, which the play describes as the "soul's medicine". Through the priesthood—who are described as "above angels in degree" because they "handleth [their] maker" in the Eucharist—Everyman receives the "holy sacrament and ointment" (Extreme Unction). This sacramental preparation provides the "true satisfaction" needed for his soul to be "received" into the "heavenly sphere".
The play’s conclusion is a somber reminder of the urgency of spiritual readiness. As Everyman descends into the grave, only Good-Deeds remains by his side to "speak for" him. The Angel confirms that because of his "singular virtue," his reckoning is now "crystal-clear".
The Doctor concludes the "moral play" by warning the "hearers" to "forsake pride" and remember that after death, "mercy and pity do him forsake" if the reckoning is not clear. The "true worth" of a life is not found in the "gay" beginnings of sin but in having an "account whole and sound" at the end. By aligning with the syllabus goals of exploring British society and culture, Everyman serves as a powerful reminder of the medieval preoccupation with mortality and the belief that salvation is a product of active virtue and sacramental grace, rather than worldly status or wealth.
Q11. Trace the development of English drama from its early origins up to Everyman, with special emphasis on the characteristics of morality plays.
Focus: Early medieval drama → mystery → miracle → morality and Everyman’s place in it.
Focus: Early medieval drama → mystery → miracle → morality and Everyman’s place in it.
The text of Everyman serves as a quintessential example of the 15th-century morality play, positioned in your syllabus as a foundational text for understanding the evolution of British drama. To trace the development of English drama up to Everyman, one must look at the shift from liturgical drama and biblical narratives toward the complex allegorical structures that define the morality genre. While the provided sources focus primarily on the text of Everyman itself, they contain internal evidence of the religious and social frameworks that birthed this dramatic form.
From Liturgical Roots to Mystery and Miracle Plays
Information from outside the sources indicates that English drama began in the early medieval period within the Church, starting as simple Latin tropes intended to illustrate the liturgy. These evolved into Mystery plays, which focused on the chronological history of the Bible, and Miracle plays, which depicted the lives and wonders of saints.
Evidence of this biblical heritage is present in Everyman through the character of God (Adonai), who recounts the biblical narrative of the Passion: "My law that I shewed, when I for them died / I hanged between two... To get them life I suffered to be dead". However, whereas Mystery plays were historical and narrative, Everyman represents the next major evolutionary step: the Morality play. This genre shifted the focus from the history of salvation to the individual’s personal struggle for salvation, utilizing allegory to make abstract theological concepts tangible for a 15th-century audience.
Characteristics of the Morality Play: The Allegorical Journey
As the Messenger in the play's prologue explains, Everyman is a "treatise" in the "manner of a moral play" designed to show the "transitory" nature of life. The defining characteristic of the morality play is its use of personified abstractions. Rather than portraying historical figures like Noah or Abraham, the characters represent aspects of the human experience and the spiritual world.
1. The Universal Representative:
The protagonist, Everyman, is an allegorical stand-in for all of humanity. He is not an individual with a unique backstory but a "creature" summoned by God to give a "general reckoning" of his life. This universality is central to the morality play’s didactic purpose; the audience is meant to see their own "ending" in Everyman’s "pilgrimage".
The protagonist, Everyman, is an allegorical stand-in for all of humanity. He is not an individual with a unique backstory but a "creature" summoned by God to give a "general reckoning" of his life. This universality is central to the morality play’s didactic purpose; the audience is meant to see their own "ending" in Everyman’s "pilgrimage".
2. The Failure of External Support (Fellowship and Goods):
A key characteristic of the morality play is the systematic abandonment of the protagonist by worldly supports. Fellowship represents the superficiality of social bonds. He initially promises to stay with Everyman "unto my life's end," yet he flees as soon as he realizes the journey leads to the grave, illustrating that in "adversity" friends are "full unkind".
A key characteristic of the morality play is the systematic abandonment of the protagonist by worldly supports. Fellowship represents the superficiality of social bonds. He initially promises to stay with Everyman "unto my life's end," yet he flees as soon as he realizes the journey leads to the grave, illustrating that in "adversity" friends are "full unkind".
The character of Goods serves as an allegorical critique of materialism. Everyman is told that "worldly riches" are merely "lent" by God, but Everyman has loved them so much that they have "blotted and blind" his spiritual account. Goods explicitly states that his "condition is man's soul to kill," reinforcing the morality play’s theme that material wealth is a "thief" to the soul.
3. The Decay of Internal Attributes:
As Everyman nears the grave, the play personifies internal human traits: Beauty, Strength, Discretion, and Five-Wits. In a Mystery play, a character might simply grow old; in a morality play, these attributes speak and then physically depart. Their desertion symbolizes the inevitable physical and mental decline of the body. When Strength says, "I will thee also forsake and deny / Thy game liketh me not at all," it emphasizes the moral that "all thing faileth, save God alone".
As Everyman nears the grave, the play personifies internal human traits: Beauty, Strength, Discretion, and Five-Wits. In a Mystery play, a character might simply grow old; in a morality play, these attributes speak and then physically depart. Their desertion symbolizes the inevitable physical and mental decline of the body. When Strength says, "I will thee also forsake and deny / Thy game liketh me not at all," it emphasizes the moral that "all thing faileth, save God alone".
Everyman’s Place in the Developmental Timeline
Everyman represents the peak of the morality play’s sophistication because it perfectly balances theological instruction with dramatic tension. It guides the protagonist through a structured process of salvation, which was a core concern of late medieval British society.
The introduction of Knowledge and Good-Deeds marks the transition from worldly despair to spiritual hope. Good-Deeds is initially "weak" and "cold in the ground" because Everyman’s sins have bound her. The play then illustrates the institutional path to redemption through Confession—the "cleansing river"—and the Seven Sacraments. By performing "penance strong" and receiving "extreme unction," Everyman restores his Good-Deeds, making his reckoning "crystal-clear".
Conclusion
By the end of the play, the Doctor summarizes the moral: "forsake pride" and remember that while Beauty and Strength will fail, only Good-Deeds will accompany a soul before God. This allegorical framework provided a bridge between the purely religious drama of the early medieval period and the more secular, character-driven plays of the 16th and 17th centuries mentioned in your syllabus.
Everyman’s place in this timeline is crucial because it taught British audiences to look beyond the literal stage and interpret characters as symbols of "society, culture and politics". It transformed the stage into a mirror of the human soul, setting the precedent for the internal psychological conflicts seen in later Renaissance drama.
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