Everyman Critical Analysis - Research Paper Example

Everyman Outline Paragraph 2: Introduction and Thesis ment Paragraphs 3-9: Discusses the perception of death and thetreatment of death. Paragraph 10: Conclusion 1. Everyman is an English play of the late 15th century written by an anonymous author who describes the ethics of life in order to gain the salvation as described in the Christian faith. The paper indicates the perception of death and its treatment according to the author. The play is used as a spiritual message from God to the mankind. The description of death in this play is linked to the search a man carries in order to seek the reason of life. 2. Everyman is considered as one of the greatest morality play in history. It is a metaphorical play in which the characters reflect the moral qualities and notions. The play deals with some important questions a human mind seeks to find answers to like, love, friendship, life, death, and life after death. The play signifies that death plays the primary role in a person’s life. It has to come on each and every individual, he will then be accounted for all his misdeeds and sins which he committed during his stay on earth. 3. The author of Everyman describes death as an agent of God that visits the main character of the play, Everyman. The death plays an adversary role in the play through which every being would have to go in order to attain salvation. The intensity of the word “death” captures everybody’s attention; its negativity takes man on a journey to meet the realities of life. The author understands the intriguing nature of this word and uses it to draw the readers in. Death is portrayed as an agent of God which is manipulated by Him and will soon someday visit every individual in his life. (Takahashi ,1953; Yorke, 2007). 4. In Everyman, death is considered as a messenger of God which is meekly obedient to Him and follows His every command. Since the play teaches about morality, death is portrayed as a physical death. Death is the conveyer of human soul to God. In the entire play it is known that Death is set beneath God. (Paulson 2007; A. Ladd 2007). 5. God uses death as His messenger to disclose to Everyman that his time on earth is over and now he must surrender to God. It is the creation of God like Everyman and so it has to conform to every command dictated to it by Him. But people view death as a higher authority to God; they fear the creation of God rather than the God Himself. In The Risen Jesus & Future Hope, Habermas quotes "the ultimate fear is probably the dread of death"(173). The anonymous author of Everyman understands the point of Habermas and conveys this in his play by telling Everyman that God is the higher authority and the manipulator of death. Except for three events (Enoch, Elijah, Jesus), death is used by God to enlist Everyman into the life after death. Death is a tool of God to assemble His creation into His presence due to its act of resistance to His authority. (Takahashi 1953; Yorke 2007). 6. There is no way Death can be avoided, Everyman is destined to meet it and face the reflection of all his wrong doings in this world. And when he will meet it he will come to realize that how short life is. The reality of death will make him realize that he needs more time to come to the standards set by God. In the play, Everyman says, "This blind matter troubleth my wit" and that Death has come when "I least expected you"(Everyman). 7. Death is unwelcomed by Everyman no matter at what time it arrives. The author describes death as an end to a man’s life on earth, he says that the appearance of death can make any strong hearted man, like Everyman, scared and reduce him to a position of a beggar who seeks its mercy and request it to go away. The thought of Death troubles to Everyman; it is a realization that the worldly life is over and that Everyman has to move on to the latter world leaving behind all the luxuries of life. Just like the people of today, the thought of death is troubling to Everyman. (Bolton, 2011) 8. The author presents sublime ideas about death throughout the play and outlines the concept of death in a way to make it easier for a man to understand the truth behind it. Death brings aloofness and aloneness and since human beings are a social animal the idea of something like that scares them. Death will come to everybody and that everybody has to go through it alone. (Paulson, 2007; A. Ladd. 2007). 9. In this world Everyman is living a life according to his own will and desires. God needs him to realize and see his fate so He sends death to execute His will. Death is a way to remind Everyman that "death waits for no man. All living creatures must die for Adams sin" (Everyman). Everyman is scared and declares to God, "Oh God in Heaven, have mercy on me"(Everyman)! Death is an unavoidable process through which every person is required to go, it is an inescapable truth. Ultimately Death will visit everyone and spare no one. This phenomenon has been going on since the beginning of time, but Everyman still takes his chance and tries to bribe it and asks to leave him. (Bolton, 2011; Everyman) 10. In conclusion, the author perceives death as a beyond doubt phenomenon and treating it as a realization that every man should expect. Death is an allegorical representation of physical death. It is a phenomenon that drives a man to humbleness and causes him to be scared. While it is a fear that has to be experienced by everyone in his life, the unknown author shows God is the power behind and it is simply his way of recruiting mankind for the eternal world. The author portrays that though everybody knows that Death will come onto them someday and will take account of their doings in this world, still the man is so preoccupied in this worldly possession that he forgets this ultimate reality of life. Death has taken on the role of protagonist throughout the play and stirs into the reader’s heart the reality of it. The author brings the readers closer to the understanding of Christian faith. References "Everyman." Internet Medieval Source Book. Web. Retrieved from: http://www.sinclair.edu/academics/lcs/departments/the/pub/Everyman.pdf Bolton, Daniel. (December 22, 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 Paulson, Julie. (2007). DEATHS ARRIVAL AND EVERYMANS SEPARATION. Theatre Survey. Retrieved from: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayFulltext?type=1&fid=1003496&jid=TSY&volumeId=48&issueId=01&aid=1003492&bodyId=&membershipNumber=&societyETOCSession= Roger A. Ladd. (2007). "My Condicion is Mannes Soule to Kill"—Everymans Mercantile Salvation. Retrieved from: http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/comparative_drama/v041/41.1ladd.html Genji Takahashi (1953). A Study of "Everyman" with Special Reference to the Source of its Plot. pp. 33–39 Yorke, Erin. (September 17, 2007). Everyman a Morality Play from the Middle Ages. Retrieved from: http://www.finearts360.com/index.php/everyman-a-morality-play-from-the-middle-ages-6186/ Read More