Running head: Perception and Treatment of Death in Everyman
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Brittany Ross
Perception and Treatment of Death in Everyman
Liberty University
Perception and Treatment of Death
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Outline and Thesis
The concept of death in human life is dreaded by all who hear it. People fear the mention of
death. People look for ways to prolong their lives and avoid death. They avoid things, situations
or people that will cause them to die. The uncertainty and inevitable nature of death instills the
fear of death in people. The play “Everyman” is a religious morality play from a Roman
Catholic point of view, which was written in the fifteenth century. The play’s main character is
Everyman, who represents all the people on earth. The author has personified different virtues
and vices, and he uses them to represent the other characters in the play. The play begins by God
sending Death, his messenger on earth. God is portrayed as patient and merciful. The play shows
peoples haste to live in sin and enjoy the pleasures of the earth, while they abandon and neglect
their spiritual life until their final moments on earth. This play is a reflection pf how people
suffer on the earth while trying to obtain worldly riches, yet in the end all the suffering leads to
nothing, as ultimately, people leave this earth with nothing when they die.
I. Introduction
II. Death perceived in different societies
A. Loathed
B. Cruel
C. Unforgiving
III. Everyman play
A. Fifteenth century
B. Morality play
C. About a common man
D. View of Christian salvation
IV. Death is mandatory
A. Have to account for his actions
B. Reflects on his choices in life
C. Tries to bribe death
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V. Salvation and redemption
A. Accompanied by five wits
B. Cannot join him in the afterlife
C. Chance to repent
VI. Way of facing reality
A. Nothing seems to matter at the end of life
B. Doing charitable and good deeds
VII. Conclusion
In many societies, death is perceived as the taker of human life. Death is loathed, and
treated with fear. It is cruel and unforgiving. The biblical and Christian interpretation of death is
defined as being either good or bad depending on the kind of life they lead.
Everyman is a Christian morality play published in the fifteenth century. The play strives
to explain the need for salvation and seeking God. However, the term Everyman refers to the
common and ordinary man. This is any man upon life’s way, irrespective of social status, gender,
race or religion. Everyman is an individual who the reader is able to connect and identify with
since the reader is also an everyman. It is also about native man, the man that existed during the
good days gone by. Present day we still have everyman but present everyman is more
individualistic and sophisticated compared to medieval everyman. A reader of this morality play
should relate his perception of Everyman with the said time of existence. Thus, when looking at
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everyman I will take into mind the medieval man, unlike his modern-day counterpart. These
differences can be attributed to the science and technology coupled with modernity and
unprecedented heights of urbanization. Despite these outstanding differences the perception and
treatment of death remains almost the same. Death is the common denominator in all spheres of
life and thus an interesting topic.
Everyman is a representation of all man. The morality play Everyman, is an allegorical
journey that everyman pursues during his life. It takes the view of Christian salvation. This is
based on Roman Catholicism, the main and dominant church during that time. During the
demise of Everyman, he will be brought before God and his actions will be weighed on the scale
of good and evil. Therefore, man should pursue good over evil to attain eternal life. Good words
and subscribing to Roman Catholicism are the tickets to heaven and in extension in the afterlife.
Everyman also attempts to bring other men to his fold and accompany him on his way to external
life. These fellowships are not ready to face death with Everyman, instead they will feign
various reasons as not to accompany everyman. The various characters in the morality play
display conflicting interests of good and evil. Some characters display material possessions,
knowledge and even fellowship. This is a representation of the battle between good and bad.
Death is Mandatory
In Everyman, death is the cruel and inevitable messenger that ultimately takes man’s life.
Death is God’s agent that brings Everyman to account for his actions on earth. God is furious
with Everyman’s pursuit for riches and material possessions. Man forsakes God; thus, he sends
death to man. “On thee thou must take a long journey: Therefore, thy book of count with thee
though bring; for turn against though cannot by no way. And look though be sure of thy
reckoning…” (Garner 1987). Death is what brings Everyman from his stupor and he now thinks
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about the choices he made and the kind of life he was leading. Everyman’s perception and how
he treats death is filled with fear, confusion and distress. Man realizes that he has not lived a
good and righteous life. Everyman is not ready to die and thus tries all means to convince death
to give him a second chance and even longer time to make everything right. However, death
being the cruel and unforgiving agent that it is, does not give anyone a second chance to account
for himself.
Everyman loathes death and the idea of leaving the world. When death approaches
Everyman, Everyman tells him, “Oh death, you’ve come when I least expected you.” As God’s
messenger, he does not live by man’s bidding. He is not tempted by people’s persuasions.
Everyman attempts to bribe Death by telling him that he will give him whatever he wants if he
delays his coming. This does not work with Death, and he tells Everyman that he does not
respect worldly riches, people’s emotions, or even powerful people when delivering God’s
message (Gassner & Quinn, 2002). Although Everyman fears death, he does not realize that
Death is not the one in control. He does not realize that God is the ultimate being, the one who
has all the power, and the one who controls death.
The author treats death as something that much happen to all people eventually
(Cunningham & Reich, 2009). He notes how it affects everyone, whether rich or poor. This is
seen in the way Death first approaches Everyman, who is finely dressed. Everyman has spent his
life seeking life’s good things and pleasures. He declares how he loved his possessions more than
he did anything in the world. He also stated how his goods and riches gave him a light heart.
Everyman was in every sense living a comfortable life. Despite this, he had to face death. Death
does not consider someone’s position in the society, social class, status or title. It does not
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consider a person’s family or the worldly possessions. It has to strike all people, irrespective of
whom they are in their communities.
Everyman realizes that death will not go away and is so afraid. So, in turn he seeks to do
right and good. Good deeds lack the strength or motivation due to years of neglect and
abandonment. However, Good Deed asks his sister, Knowledge, to go with Everyman. This is
where Everyman seeks forgiveness and atonement of his sins. Everyman is punished with
scourge for the sins committed during his life. The Virgin Mary with Jesus, pray and intercedes
for Go to forgive Everyman. When Everyman atones and confesses his sins, good deeds is
rejuvenated and strong again, Everyman is donned and dressed in a robe that is a symbol of him
being a new repented being. Everyman is now clean from sin and eternity awaits him. This
shows that for Everyman to be accepted in Gods kingdom he has to be righteous, repentant and
clean in the eyes of God. Similarly, no man can acquire eternal life without salvation and
repentance.
A Way of Salvation and Redemption
Everyman is later accompanied by his five wits, discretion, beauty and strength. These
are meant to give him strength to meet his death. However, he realizes that is as far as they can
go. They cannot go with him to the afterlife. Before he dies, Everyman receives his last
sacrament. These sacraments signify the various rituals conducted by Catholics.
Everyman’s life is about to come to an end and before it does he prays to God and asks
him to commend his spirit. Later Everyman joins others in heaven and heard angel’s singing. He
realizes that only his good deeds are with him. Everything else was left behind. This illustrates
that worldly possessions are in fact a hindrance in attainment of eternal life. Thus, poses the
question: is it important for one to gain everything and the world and loose his or her soul?
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Despite Everyman’s inadequacies God still loves man and gives him a chance to repent
God is all merciful and wants Everyman to come back to him. Everyman never evens repents or
atone his sins. This is when death beckons and ultimately judgement follows thereafter.
Everyman has to give an account of all his life. No one can escape this Day of Judgement. When
the moment comes everyman will be weighed on the scales of his actions. “And he that hath his
account whole and sound. High in heaven he shall be crowned; Unto which place God brings us
all thither that we may live body and soul together. Thereto help the Trinity, Amen, say ye, for
Saint Charity” (Banham 1998).
Death is not always a bad thing, as it leads to a person’s salvation. God sends Death, to
lead man to his final days. In the end, Everyman will spend his eternity with God. In this case,
the author does not treat death with condemnation. He sees it as a way for people to live free
from sin and all kinds of suffering. When people are with God, they do not have to be troubled.
They do not have to worry or spend time thinking about worries of this world. The author
mentions how Jesus had to hang on the cross with immense pain, so that people might receive
salvation. In this case, death is not a bad thing, as it shows there is a way for people’s redemption
and salvation. The death of Jesus gives people hope for eternity. It gives people a reason to hop
for better things after they depart this earth.
Death is a way of Facing Reality
Death is a way of facing reality. In the play, Death dares Everyman to find anyone
who is willing to travel with him and accompany him before God (Robinson, 2011). Everyman
faces the fact that all his friends and relatives deceive him, and do not care much about him.
Good Fellowship promises to be with him through thick and thin. Another promises never to
abandon him, and another promise that he will be with him in riches and poverty. With all these
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promises, one would be tempted to think that Everyman has remarkably good and loyal friends.
He realizes that everything fades with time. Beauty, strength, discernment and the five senses are
innate attributes of Everyman. They agree to accompany Everyman on his journey, and they
even take him to the grave. Once they are at the gravesite, they all leave so Everyman has to face
death on his own. They start disappearing one by one, beginning with the beauty. (Gassner &
Quinn, 2002).
The play illustrates how nothing seems to matter at the end of one’s life. One cannot even
depend on what he or she thinks is rightfully his (Anon, 2009). When a person does charitable
and good deeds, people will continue talking of him even before those things are gone. They will
remember how the person lived his life to serve and help others, and they will consider that
person a hero. The author’s perception of death, as something that makes one alienated,
indicates how a person cannot rely on himself. In death, knowledge abandons Everyman, after
helping him realize the truth of his sins (Robinson, 2011). This perception highlights the fact that
a human being can only depend on God. He alone made human beings, and he alone determines
their end.
Conclusion
The play Everyman, highlights and speaks of death in a manner that is easy to
understand. It shows how people can live their lives on earth without the fear of death. The
author observes that people do not need to be afraid of death. They only need to realize that God
is in control of death, and he only uses death as his messenger. This play brings out the Christian
hope and faith by showing the possibility of a better and assured life in eternity, when one
repents and lives according to God’s standards. The author perceives and treats death as
something that causes people to come to repentance and to be convicted of their sin. He treats
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death as something unexpected and compulsory. Everyone has to face death, and there is no way
out of it. It is something that puts an end to man’s effort on earth. It does not consider anything
that man possesses. He treats death as a way of gaining salvation, and as a means of spending
eternity with God.
References
ANON (2009). Everyman and mankind. London, United Kingdom: A&C Black Publishers
Limited.
Bolton, D. (2011). The study of death in “the summoning of everyman”. Retrieved from
http://voices.yahoo.com/the-study-death-summoning-everyman-10726313.html?cat=38
Cunningham, S. L., & Reich, J. J. (2009). Culture and values: A survey of the humanities. New
York, NY: Cengage Learning
Gassner, J., & Quinn, E. (2002). The reader’s encyclopedia of world drama. Courier Dover
Publications
Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication
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and Sabbath-School Work, 1921.
Lloyd-Jones, David Martyn. The Church and the Last Things. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books
1998.
