The Authors Perception of Death on the Play Everyman - Essay Example

The Perception of Death on the Play Everyman The Perception of Death The Summoning of Everyman commonly known as Everyman is a Christian morality play illustrating the value of life and death, the perception of death in particular is distinct in several cultures and has more impact on an individual being or person as compared to a group of persons. Additionally, the journey towards death has several associations such as morals, values and experiences in life but an individual’s reaction to death is different from another’s reaction. In the play, Everyman is the main character representing humankind; he meets death, the mighty messenger of God, sent to tell him that his life was ending. In return he tries to bribe death with material possessions not knowing that death cannot be bribed and does not value possessions, neither does he wait for anyone nor choose. No one can cheat death or avoid it; death is inevitable. Death in this play is a contender representing the physical death and the author uses it to draw readers in, death is under God’s control, he brings conviction or judgment to people and will one day visit everyone (Roth, 2006). Life is a journey from birth to death in this play, Everyman upon getting a visit from death who then asks him to look for someone to accompany him on his journey meets his friends and family and this marks the beginning of the journey. Fellowship his best friend, material wealth, Kindred and cousin all forsake everyman in his dire time of need. Fellowship at first is full of bravado but upon realizing that Everyman is in trouble, he promises to stand with him on learning the trouble is between him and death, fellowship ditches him and so do Kindred and Cousin quoted saying, “In wealth and woe we will with you hold, or for over his kin a man may be bold.” However, on realizing his destination they run away and ditch him. This is a teaching to us all that relatives and friends are not always reliable and God is the only reliable Being, Cousin even refuses to go with Everyman because he has a cramp in his toe (Gradesaver.com, 2014). Everyman later turns his hopes and talks to Goods, Goods represent Everyman’s material possessions and wealth. He pleads for assistance but he gets none, instead Goods tells him that he should never have fallen so much for material possessions and should have at least helped the poor and out of fear of banishment by God, Goods forsakes Everyman. However, Everyman meets Good-Deeds, he genuinely cares for his plight and symbolises the acts of kindness and charity but Good-Deeds is lying on the ground weakened by sins committed by Everyman. Good-Deeds has a sister called Knowledge, whom she introduces to Everyman, she provides good advice and serves as an important guide instructing him to search for Confession. Confession helps Everyman cleanse the sin he has committed, however; he has to ask for forgiveness and undergoes a severe and purifying form of physical punishment and this leads to strengthening of Good-Deeds whom also is set free and stands by Everyman’s side during the moment of judgement (Bradford, 2014). God calls Death, his “mighty messenger”. Death’s dart targets people who love wealth and possessions and their dwelling place will be in hell eternally unless, that is, “Alms be his good friend”. “Alms” means “Good-Deeds”, and it is an important hint even at this stage that Good-Deeds can save a sinner from everlasting damnation. After Everyman confesses his sins, Good-Deed reminds him that God’s love is divine and different from the love of goods and material possessions. Moreover, after repentance and acknowledgment of sins Good-Deeds is strong enough to join Everyman while Knowledge asks him to call his last friends, Discretion, Strength, Beauty and Wit but upon approaching the grave all his friends except Good-Deeds desert him. Good-Deeds does not leave Everyman’s side and follows him even to the grave (Fordham.edu, 2014). Knowledge portrays a side of him that he will not go to the heaven sphere with Everyman but will stay with him till his last days with the physical body hence the soul does not retain the earthly knowledge. However, Good-Deeds follow Everyman even after leaving the earthly body and when the play ends; Everyman commends his soul to God (Gradesaver.com, 2014). From the analysis of the play, it is evident that death is inevitable no matter what one owns. Whether rich or poor the road is the same, all material possessions will be left here on earth and so will things like knowledge, wit, beauty, fellowships and so on. The only thing that will accompany an individual after death is his or her Good-Deeds and they are the determinants of our final destinations. It is evident that Good-Deeds weakening is due to our sinful nature and the only way to strengthen weak Good-Deeds is by severe self-punishment for purification and confessions. This also draws us towards God. Death is God’s messenger and we should accept it as it comes. Death does not know tribe, colour, race, wealth or poverty, it is neutral and does not choose anyone instead it comes at the right moment. Death is incorrupt and cannot be bribed nor coerced. Death has been associated with many beliefs and the characterization of death sheds light to some of the beliefs in place. Death’s presence is intentional in the place to show the character of death is understood as the true theme of the play surfaces. However, to understand this, two manifestations must be clearly understood; the reaper and the servant (Bruster & Rasmussen, 2009). Death is portrayed as God’s servant while everyman is a reaper; death is powerful and mighty as a reaper of the human souls but also is powerless as a messenger of God. God speaks with death with assurance of obedience; “Go thou to Everyman, and show him, in my name, a pilgrimage he must on him take, which he in no wise may escape; and that he bring with him a sure reckoning, without delay or tarrying.”. From this, it is evident that God does not request for Death’s opinion but also makes Death know that He is his master. Death acknowledges that he is there to serve God’s purpose. Hence, death has no power above God but instead works for God. God is the ultimate king above all beings whether young or old, plump or skinny. good or bad, tall or short. God uses Death for His own gain and for the benefit of humankind. Death in slavery shows that God is a conquering King who supplants even the great enemy of man, Death (Fordham.edu, 2014). In conclusion, God is the alpha and omega and nothing is more superior to Him. He controls all that trends the earth and heavens, death is His servant, and He uses him for personal gain. Death is inevitable to the humankind. Human beings fear death with their all but no matter what they will have to walk down that road since life is a journey and earth happens to be one of the stopovers. Humanity is subject to death and death is a great fear to humankind and is considered an evil, it is swift, cruel, fearless, and merciless. Death does not chase man instead it waits for him since no matter where he runs to he will still come and face it, Upon dying and going to heaven, Everyone is given the ability to conquer death thus no more death befalls man. Death is the key to showing both the benevolence and power of God. God is the ultimate ruler of Death, which holds only an apparent power over man. God has conquered death and given the gift of salvation to all people according to this play of Everyman. Human beings must only seek to do as God asks of them but also make His magnificence known through their lives and they shall receive triumph over Death. At the end of the play we learn that the human soul leaves the body and presented before God and a great lesson is learnt, everything in life is fleeting with the exception of kindness, charity, self-giving, sacrificing for the sake of others as well as being our brother’s keeper and spreading the acts of kindness to others. References Bradford, W. (2014). The summoning of everyman - a plot summary and study guide for the medieval morality play,. [online] Retrieved from: http://plays.about.com/od/plays/a/Everyman-A-Medieval-Morality-Play-By-Anonymous.htm [Accessed: 10 Mar 2014]. Bruster, D., & Rasmussen, E. (2009). Everyman: And, Mankind. London: Arden Shakespeare. Fordham.edu. (2014). Internet history sourcebooks. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/everyman.asp [Accessed: 10 Mar 2014]. Gradesaver.com. (2014). Everyman: morality play summary | gradesaver. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.gradesaver.com/everyman-and-other-miracle-and-morality-plays/study-guide/short-summary/ [Accessed: 10 Mar 2014]. Researchomatic.com. (2014). The authors perception of death and the treatment of death in everyman | researchomatic. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.researchomatic.com/The-Authors-Perception-Of-Death-And-The-Treatment-Of-Death-In-Everyman-146348.html [Accessed: 10 Mar 2014]. Roth, P. (2006). Everyman. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Read More