Running head: RESEARCH PAPER 1
Research Paper
English 102: Literature and Composition
Liberty University – Fall B, 2018
APA
RESEARCH PAPER 2
Research Paper
Thesis Statement: Through the use of the characters in the morality play Everyman, the
author alludes to a false belief that salvation comes only by one’s good deeds outweighing their
bad deeds.
I. Introduction
A. Literary Drama
B. Morality Play
C. Thesis of Everyman
II. Discussion of Characters and Summary of Play
A. Messenger
B. God
C. Death
D. Everyman
E. Fellowship
F. Kindred and Cousin
G. Goods
H. Good Deeds
I. Knowledge
J. Confession
K. Beauty, Strength, Discretion, and Five Wits
L. Angel
M. Doctor
III. Conclusion
A. Lessons to be learned
B. Restatement of Thesis
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Literary Drama
In literature, drama is written with the intent of being acted out by actors or actresses in a
play. A drama is a story consisting of the dialogue of various characters and is usually split into
separate scenes. According to Johnson & Arp (2018), “Drama, like prose fiction, makes use of
plot and characters, develops themes, arouses emotional responses, and may be either literary or
commercial in its representation of reality (Johnson & Arp, 2018, p. 1076).” One of the most
popular branches of drama is the morality play.
Morality Play
According to Craig (1950), “The true morality play, when it came into existence, was a
definite invention whose background was man’s need of salvation… (Hardin, 1950, p. 67).”
Therefore, the main purpose of a morality play is to teach its viewers a lesson on a particular
virtue. However, they can also provide lessons on a particular vice or even death. Morality plays
were especially popular between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. One of the most popular
morality plays ever produced is one whose author is unknown. It is titled Everyman.
Thesis Statement
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Through the use of the characters in the morality play Everyman, the author alludes to his
belief that salvation comes only by one’s good deeds outweighing their bad deeds.
Theme
The theme of the morality play, Everyman, is that death will one day come knocking on
everyone’s door. Whether one spends eternity in heaven or hell is determined only on the outside
of the grave. Not everyone will have the same opportunity as Everyman had in which he had an
hour to get things right with the Lord, so one must be sure that their hearts are right with the
Lord at all times.
Discussion of Characters
The characters featured in the morality play Everyman listed in order of appearance are
the following: Messenger, God, Death, Everyman, Fellowship, Kindred, Cousin, Goods, Good
Deeds, Knowledge, confession, Beauty, Strength, Discretion, Five Wits, Angel, And Doctor.
Messenger
Messenger’s sole appearance comes in the very beginning of the play. In his opening
lines, “I pray you all give your audience, And hear this matter with reverence,” he solicits the
reader/viewer/listener to pay close attention to the play that is about to take place. (Lines 1 & 2)
He warns them that there is a tremendously important lesson to be learned within the happenings
of the play. He then fades away at the conclusion of his brief summary of the play.
God
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The second character to appear in the play is God. God is very troubled by the state of
His prized creation, humanity. As one can glean from the line “And now I see the people do
clean forsake me,” God observes the fact that even after His great sacrifice of love for them, they
rejected Him. (Line 35) Instead, as God goes on to state, “Every man liveth so after his own
pleasure (Line 40).” He then proceeds in a conversation with the third character presented in this
play who goes by the name of Death.
Death
Death first appears conversing with God about God’s plan to bring about justice. God in
lines 66-71 implores Death to go out to every man leading a sinful, wicked life and command
them to embark on a journey with the destination being their grave. Death went immediately to
every man and commanded them just as God had requested.
Everyman
Every man was represented as a whole by the fourth character who was named
Everyman. Everyman, when approached by Death, asks what God wants of him, and for what
was this journey made. This is found in line 92: “What, sent to me?” and line 97: “What desireth
God of me?” When He is informed of who he is speaking with, and the journey he is to go on, he
then proceeds in an attempt to bribe death. This action is scene in lines 121-123 “Yet of my good
will I give thee, if thou will be kind— possessions Yea, a thousand pound shalt thou have— And
defer this matter till another day.” His request is denied. He was also beforehand instructed to
bring nothing with him besides his account book of all his deeds, but as one shall learn,
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Everyman all along the way goes on an endless search for a companion to accompany him on his
journey.
Fellowship
The fifth character presented in the play, and the first with which Everyman makes his
plea, is Fellowship. When approached by Everyman, Fellowship asks him why he appeared to be
distraught. When He is informed of his friend being in great jeopardy, he proceeds to comfort
Everyman. In line 214, Fellowship says “I will not forsake thee to my life’s end.” However, this
statement would turn out to be untrue when Fellowship is confronted with the reasons for
Everyman’s troubled state.
Kindred and Cousin
The sixth and seventh characters presented in the play, and the second and third with
which Everyman makes his plea, are Kindred and Cousin. These also individually made some
very bold claims. In lines 323-324 Cousin states, “If ye be disposed to go anywhither; For, wit
you well, we will live and die together.” In the following line (325), Kindred adds, “In wealth
and woe we will with you hold,”. One will see that after being presented with the details of
Everyman’s journey, Kindred and Cousin quickly backed out of their empty promises. With
Cousin giving a very silly reason for his decision as seen in line 356: “No, by our Lady! I have
the cramp in my toe.”
Goods
The eighth character and the fourth with which Everyman makes his plea is Goods. From
line 387, “All my life I have loved riches,” one can see that Goods was probably the character
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whom Everyman had the most affection for. The author goes on to state how that Everyman had
an abundance of goods and riches piled and stored up in various places in his home. When
Goods was asked to help make a reckoning for Everyman, he refused. He did so because he
succeeded in ruining Everyman’s life and was ready to move on to someone else.
Good Deeds
The ninth character and the fifth with which Everyman makes his plea is Good Deeds.
Good Deeds wished to accompany Everyman but could not do so due to his being bound to the
ground by Everyman’s sins. Instead, Good Deeds offers counsel and sends his sister, Knowledge,
to be Everyman’s companion on his journey. He than promises that he would return after his bad
deeds are washed clean.
Knowledge
The tenth character who willingly accompanies Everyman on his journey is Knowledge.
Knowledge’s first task is to lead Everyman to Confession where all his sins can be cleansed
away.
Confession
Confession is the eleventh character that Everyman comes across on his journey.
Confession was asked of Everyman to wash away all of his bad deeds so that his Good Deeds
can return to him. Confession goes on to give Everyman a jewel known as Penance with which
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Everyman was to scourge himself. In lines 569-572, “For your time draweth fast; and ye will
saved be, Ask God mercy, and he will grant truly. When with the scourge of penance man doth
him bind, The oil of forgiveness then shall he find,” Confession ensures Everyman that the
scourging of the penance will indeed bring back Good Deeds. Exactly as Confession had
promised, Good Deeds returned and was able to accompany him on the remainder of his journey.
Beauty, Strength, Discretion, and Five Wits
Everyman (wearing the coat of sorrow), along with Knowledge and Good Deeds then call
upon Everyman’s four friends - Beauty, Strength, Discretion, and Five Wits. These four, as with
his former friends, made great promises of staying with Everyman even unto death. These four
accompanied him on his trip to get the sacrament from the priest, but when it came time for
Everyman to succumb to his grave, they fled.
Angel
The next to last character to appear in the play is Angel. Angel is the one who welcomes
Everyman into heaven as a result of his living a good life.
Doctor
Doctor closes the poem with a final admonition for everyone to heed the advice offered
throughout the play. He further elaborates on all that which one has no use for once he leaves this
world. He stresses that the only thing that can accompany one to the grave is their good deeds.
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Conclusion
Through the morality play, Everyman, the author teaches the reader an important lesson
regarding life and death. He illustrates this lesson through the last hour of the main character,
Everyman’s life. Out of the blue, Everyman is alerted to the fact that his life would end shortly.
He proceeds to look for help in all the wrong places. He finds out the hard way that the things
and people that meant the most to him during his life could not offer him any help when he
needed it the most. Those things that he once held so dear would be left behind and the only
thing that would go with him were his good deeds. Death is an unavoidable object in everyone’s
life. How one lives his or her life here on earth determines if death is something to be feared or
just another stepping stone on the path to heaven. After all, the important things in life are not
those that are possessed, but rather, those that are given. Only what is done for Christ will last.
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References:
Adu-Gyamfi, Y., & Schmidt, M. (2011). Literature and spirituality. Boston: Longman.
Bloemendal, J. (2009). Transfer and integration of latin and vernacular drama in the early
modern period: The case of everyman, elckerlijc, homulus and hecastus. Arcadia, 44(2),
274-288. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/507187854?accountid=12085
Coldewey, J. (1993). Early English drama. New York: Garland Pub.
Craig, H. (1950). Morality Plays and Elizabethan Drama. Shakespeare Quarterly, 1(2), 64-72.
doi:10.2307/2866678
Johnson, G., & Arp, T. R. (2018). Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense (13th ed.).
Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Paulson, J. (2007). Death's arrival and everyman's separation. Theatre Survey, 48(1), 121-141.
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com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/211162380?accountid=12085
