Morality in Everyman - Book Report/Review Example

Morality in Everyman Roll No: Teacher: 14th November 2008 Research Proposal I have chosen the play, “Everyman”for researching and writing an essay. The reason why I opted “Everyman” is that I have developed a strong interest in the play because of the style of the play, language of the play and because of its being a play that is considered enough reputable in the history. I want to do some research on “Everyman”. I am interested in the theme of morality depicted in the play. The moral aspects of the play and the characters as the morality characters are a source of inspiration for me. I think that I will try to find out the moral aspects of the play through the language employed by the anonymous writer and also from the authorial writings of the critics by means of a quantitative research. I will try to find out in depth meanings of the text in terms of language acquisition by the writer of the play. I will also consider the writings of the critics who have pointed out the moral aspects of “Everyman”. Moral aspects of the play, “Everyman” and depiction of characters as moral aspects of a person can be categorized as wholly religious. The play is written with a Christian theme. The morality depicted in the play is wholly Christian morality. Everything that happens in the play is related to a person’s conscience and everyman is accountable for his deeds in this world and has to answer to his conscience in his later life or near death. Working Thesis: “Everyman” persuades the readers to consider their good and bad deeds and reply to their conscience with the help of the language of the play or we can say that moral aspects of the play delivered by means of language persuade the reader to consider his/her moral status and to answer back the conscience for his/her deeds. I will do the research by finding suitable articles and books on moral themes of the play from the internet, libraries and bookshops. I will also read the text, “Everyman” between the lines to analyze the language of the text in terms of morality and Christian religion. Annotated Bibliography Cawley, A. C. Everyman and Medieval Miracle Plays, Everymans Library, 1961. Cawley in his article, “Everyman and Medieval Miracle Plays analyzes the play in terms of its features that are associated to the earlier miracle plays that were made in the medieval time. He also highlights the style of the play as purely poetic drama. Cawley indicates that earlier plays were considered persuasive because of their being religious. He categorizes “Everyman” as a miracle play of the early fifteenth century. Takahashi, Genji. A Study of "Everyman" with Special Reference to the Source of its Plot, 1953. Takahashi writes a detailed analysis of the play, “Everyman” by analyzing the plot of the plot. He emphasizes on the development of plot and on the structure of the play. Takahashi elaborates upon the usage of employability of one act for the whole drama. The structure of drama is usually divided into five parts but “Everyman” does not follow the typical structure of the drama. Daiches, David. “Drama from the Miracle Plays to Marlow”. A Critical History of English Literature. 2nd Ed. Cambridge: Jesus College, 1960. David Daiches in the chapter on “Drama from the Miracle Plays to Marlow” writes about “Everyman” as a morality play. He indicates that “Everyman” is said to be associated with a Dutch play, “Elckerlijk”. He also highlights the aspects of earlier morality plays and finds relation of morality plays in “Everyman”. The Early Religious Drama: Everyman. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature (1907–21). Vol. V. The Drama to 1642, Part One. 1978. In this writing, the writer analyzes the play, “Everyman” in terms of its being religious. The writer finds features of Catholicism in “Everyman”. The earlier aspects of religious drama are also analyzed and it is also depicted that dramatic animation is employed while writing the drama. Banham, Martin. ed. The Cambridge Guide to Theatre. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1998. In this book, the theatrical representation of drama, “Everyman” is depicted by means of the animated techniques employed in depicting the moral aspects used in the drama. The writer emphasizes the features of the drama that were helpful in the dramatic presentation of the play. The themes and style of the drama are also discussed in this writing. Morality in Everyman “Everyman” is a play whose writer is unknown and critics have multiple opinions regarding to the origin of the play. Many critics have written on many aspects of the play such as morality, structure, allegory and style and much more. “Everyman” persuades the readers to consider their good and bad deeds and reply to their conscience with the help of the language of the play or we can say that moral aspects of the play delivered by means of language persuade the reader to consider his/her moral status and to answer back the conscience for his/her deeds. The language of the play, “Everyman” is very persuasive and indicates towards the religious message of the play. I found the language of the play as fully persuasive and also it keeps the capacity of making people consider their good deeds and bad deeds. The play takes help of allegory as the characters of the play are named as aspects of human existence such as Fellowship, kindred, Cousin and Goods at one side and Good deeds, Knowledge and Confession on the other side (Banhan 1998). Everyman also meets Beauty, Strength, Discretion and Five Wits in his journey towards Death. Every moral aspect of the play is named as a living character or it can be said that all of the aspects of human existence are animated. The protagonist of the play, Everyman is regarded as moving towards a pilgrimage during which, he attends to many human aspects (Cawley 1961). Fellowship, Kindred and Cousin, with whom, he has led most of his life leave him in his journey towards Death but Good Deeds accompany him. As he has passed his life with other aspects of life other than Good Deeds, Good Deeds appear to be weak to travel with him. Due to this reason, Knowledge and Confession come to his help and to strengthen Good Deeds. In the end, only Good Deeds is ready to come with Everyman in his grave. The play is wholly religious in its message and plot. In this Everyman is shown a way about how to gain salvation in order to be forgiven by God for his sins that he committed in his lifetime (Takahashi, 1953). In the end, Everyman gains salvation and is entered in the Heaven on the basis of his good deeds and salvation that he asks for. The play is written in the form of a poetic drama. The drama is not divided into acts as only one act is there in the play. The story, exposition and ending all is described into a single act. This morall men may haue in mynde Ye hearers take it of worth olde and yonge And forsake pryde for he deceyueth you in the ende And remembre beaute .v. wyttes strength & dy[s]crecion They all at the last do euery man forsake Saue his good dedes there dothe he take But be ware and they be small Before god he hath no helpe at all The Middle English is closer to Modern English and is easier to understand. The passage that is stated above is taken from the last speech that is delivered by the doctor at the end of the drama. In this speech the language employed appears fully religious. It is emphasized by the doctor that those features of human beings that are considered a source of pride are not helpful in the last journey of human beings towards their end. Beauty and strength on which, a person is proud of himself do not accompany him in his grave and it is only good deeds that are there with him in his grave. A man can only be facilitated with knowledge, confession and five wits towards his salvation and forgiveness and afterwards, these traits of a human being also desert him. No fellowship, family or relatives can accompany a person in his death. He only moves towards his death with salvation and his good deeds. The words employed in the writing of the play such as virtue, mercy, pity, God most mighty, Holy Mary, good deeds and many others indicate towards the religious content of the play. It is made sure that people get the religious moral message that they should consider their good deeds as the closest friend to themselves as it is the good deeds of people that go with them to their graves. The employment of the word, “Holy Mary” indicates towards the Christian religion that is employed while writing. The concept of salvation and forgiveness is also attached to the Christian religion. It is described in Christianity that through confession, one can gain salvation and that becomes a reason for his entrance in heaven after death. As the play is wholly moralistic in content and also the message that the writer wants to convey through his play is moral, it is quite clear and evident that the play, “Everyman” can be seen as a morality play and is closely related to Christian religion (Daiches 1960). The aspects it points out through the employment of language are wholly persuasive to make the reader look into his conscience. Works Cited Banham, Martin. ed. The Cambridge Guide to Theatre. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1998. Cawley, A. C. Everyman and Medieval Miracle Plays, Everymans Library, 1961. Daiches, David. “Drama from the Miracle Plays to Marlow”. A Critical History of English Literature. 2nd Ed. Cambridge: Jesus College, 1960. Takahashi, Genji. A Study of "Everyman" with Special Reference to the Source of its Plot, 1953. .. The Early Religious Drama: Everyman. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature (1907–21). Vol. V. The Drama to 1642, Part One. 1978. Read More

The structure of drama is usually divided into five parts but “Everyman” does not follow the typical structure of the drama. Daiches, David. “Drama from the Miracle Plays to Marlow”. A Critical History of English Literature. 2nd Ed. Cambridge: Jesus College, 1960. David Daiches in the chapter on “Drama from the Miracle Plays to Marlow” writes about “Everyman” as a morality play. He indicates that “Everyman” is said to be associated with a Dutch play, “Elckerlijk”. He also highlights the aspects of earlier morality plays and finds relation of morality plays in “Everyman”.

The Early Religious Drama: Everyman. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature (1907–21). Vol. V. The Drama to 1642, Part One. 1978. In this writing, the writer analyzes the play, “Everyman” in terms of its being religious. The writer finds features of Catholicism in “Everyman”. The earlier aspects of religious drama are also analyzed and it is also depicted that dramatic animation is employed while writing the drama. Banham, Martin. ed. The Cambridge Guide to Theatre.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1998. In this book, the theatrical representation of drama, “Everyman” is depicted by means of the animated techniques employed in depicting the moral aspects used in the drama. The writer emphasizes the features of the drama that were helpful in the dramatic presentation of the play. The themes and style of the drama are also discussed in this writing. Morality in Everyman “Everyman” is a play whose writer is unknown and critics have multiple opinions regarding to the origin of the play.

Many critics have written on many aspects of the play such as morality, structure, allegory and style and much more. “Everyman” persuades the readers to consider their good and bad deeds and reply to their conscience with the help of the language of the play or we can say that moral aspects of the play delivered by means of language persuade the reader to consider his/her moral status and to answer back the conscience for his/her deeds. The language of the play, “Everyman” is very persuasive and indicates towards the religious message of the play.

I found the language of the play as fully persuasive and also it keeps the capacity of making people consider their good deeds and bad deeds. The play takes help of allegory as the characters of the play are named as aspects of human existence such as Fellowship, kindred, Cousin and Goods at one side and Good deeds, Knowledge and Confession on the other side (Banhan 1998). Everyman also meets Beauty, Strength, Discretion and Five Wits in his journey towards Death. Every moral aspect of the play is named as a living character or it can be said that all of the aspects of human existence are animated.

The protagonist of the play, Everyman is regarded as moving towards a pilgrimage during which, he attends to many human aspects (Cawley 1961). Fellowship, Kindred and Cousin, with whom, he has led most of his life leave him in his journey towards Death but Good Deeds accompany him. As he has passed his life with other aspects of life other than Good Deeds, Good Deeds appear to be weak to travel with him. Due to this reason, Knowledge and Confession come to his help and to strengthen Good Deeds.

In the end, only Good Deeds is ready to come with Everyman in his grave. The play is wholly religious in its message and plot. In this Everyman is shown a way about how to gain salvation in order to be forgiven by God for his sins that he committed in his lifetime (Takahashi, 1953). In the end, Everyman gains salvation and is entered in the Heaven on the basis of his good deeds and salvation that he asks for. The play is written in the form of a poetic drama. The drama is not divided into acts as only one act is there in the play.

The story, exposition and ending all is described into a single act. This morall men may haue in mynde Ye hearers take it of worth olde and yonge And forsake pryde for he deceyueth you in the ende And remembre beaute .v.

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