Everyman (play) Totally Explained

Everything about Everyman Play totally explained

Everyman is a 15th century English morality play, There is a similar Dutch (Flemish) morality play of the same period called Elckerlijc. Everyman may be a translation of the Dutch play, or both may be derived independently from a Latin work named Homulus. Current scholarly opinion tends to conclude, however, that the English play is the original. Nothing is known of the author, and although the play was apparently produced with some frequency in the seventy-five years following its composition, no production records survive.

Synopsis

The play opens with God giving a monologue about his troubles. He complains about how humans have become too absorbed in material wealth and riches to follow Him. He feels taken for granted, because he receives no appreciation for all that he's given them. God summons Death, his messenger, and tells him to go to Everyman and summon him to heaven to make his reckoning. It is then that he'll be judged.
   Upon hearing this, Everyman is distressed as he doesn't have a proper account of his life prepared. Everyman tries to bribe Death and asks for more time. Death denies this request but tells Everyman he may find a companion for his journey, someone to speak for his good virtues.
   Fellowship, representing a person's friends, happens along and promises to go anywhere with Everyman. However, when Fellowship hears of the true nature of Everyman's journey, he immediately refuses to go. Fellowship says that he'd stay with Everyman were they having fun, but won't accompany him on such a journey. It is here established that Fellowship is a personification of the "fair weather friend".
   Everyman then sees Kindred and Cousin, who represent family, and asks them to go with him. Kindred flat out refuses, saying he'd rather go to parties and Cousin says, "No, I've a cramp in my toe," so he can't go either. Cousin also presents a fundamental reason why no one will accompany Everyman: they've their own accounts to write as well.
   Everyman realizes he's put much love towards Goods and so Goods will surely come with him on his journey with Death. Goods won't come with Everyman; he says it's to Everyman's damnation that he put so much effort of his life to Goods and therefore Goods would make Everyman's case even worse.
   Everyman then turns to Good Deeds. Good Deeds says she'd go with him, but she's too weak as Everyman hasn't loved her. She sends her sister Knowledge with Everyman, and together they go to see Confession.
   There, Everyman repents for all his sins, and punishes himself with a scourge. Confession gives Everyman a jewel called Penance. Everyman is now absolved of all sins, and Good Deeds becomes strong enough to accompany Everyman on his journey. Knowledge gifts Everyman with a garment made from her own tears, called Contrition. Good Deeds summons Beauty, Strength, Discretion and Everyman's Five Wits to join them. They all agree to go with him, after he goes to a priest to take sacrament.
   Again, when Everyman tells them where his journey ends, all but Good Deeds forsake him. This is because beauty, strength, discretion, and Five- wits are qualities that leave a person as they get older. Knowledge can't accompany him beyond the point where he leaves his physical body. Everyman gets into his grave. Everyman and Good Deeds ascend into heaven, where they're welcomed by an Angel. A Doctor, representing a scholar, then explains the moral of the story: that in the end, a person will only have his Good Deeds to accompany him beyond the grave.
   Another well-known version of the play is Jedermann by the Austrian playwright Hugo von Hofmannsthal, which has been performed annually at the Salzburg Festival since 1920.

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