Death And Redemption In Everyman: A Medieval Morality Play

Write an essay explaining how Sophocles’ Oedipus exemplifies Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero, OR how Oedipus commits wrongdoing by his own volition / free will.  Review pp. 1,250–1,254 and 1,257–1,258 in your Perrine’s Literature textbook for the background and overview of Aristotle’s concept of tragedy/the tragic hero and drama. Then, re-read Sophocles’ play, Oedipus; you may review additional audio-visual resources on the play as well.

Discuss William Shakespeare’s Othello, the Moor of Venice as a tragedy. As defined by Aristotle, is it correct to label Othello a “tragic hero” and to classify the play as an Aristotelian tragedy? Review pp. 1,250–1,254 and 1,257–1,258 in the Perrine’s Literature textbook for the background and overview of Aristotle’s concept of tragedy/the tragic hero and drama. Then, re-read Shakespeare’s Othello, the Moor of Venice; you may review additional audio-visual resources on the play as well.

Discuss William Shakespeare’s Othello, the Moor of Venice as a tragedy. As defined by Aristotle, is it correct to label Othello a “tragic hero” and to classify the play as an Aristotelian tragedy? Review pp. 1,250–1,254 and 1,257–1,258 in the Perrine’s Literature textbook for the background and overview of Aristotle’s concept of tragedy/the tragic hero and drama. Then, re-read Shakespeare’s Othello, the Moor of Venice; you may review additional audio-visual resources on the play as well.

Introduction to death and its significance

Everyman is a classic morality play that was written in the 15th century and presents death as a reality. The morality plays became popular in England between 1400 and 1600 and these plays dramatized the spiritual struggle of mankind (Lester x). The unusual drama carries a serious tone and shows the protagonist, who is the Everyman dying throughout the play. Everyman, after enjoying the pleasures of life has to face the reality of life, death. God calls him to judge him based on his actions on earth. The Medieval Morality Play presents death as an agent of God and thus offers a psychological insight as it shows how the process of death can be a learning experience for Everyman and should not be feared.
Introduction to death and its significance

The Messenger, at the beginning of the play, commands the attention of the reader by listening to the matter with “reverence” as it is a moral play. He focuses on the destructiveness of the sin and the inevitability of death (Laan 465). He continues by stating how “our heavenly King” will call Everyman and give him a hearing and coveys the play to be wondrous” and “precious.” By saying so, he presents death as an agent of God and positively as well as that death is an important subject. He says” For ye shall hear how our heavenly King Calleth Everyman to a general reckoning” (Everyman 2) and wants the audience to hear what he has to say.

God enters to give the reasons behind the need of death. He reveals his feelings about the sinful behavior of humans and how they have forgotten the presence of God. He muses as to how the man has left the “heavenly company” of angels and is embroiled in “the seven deadly sins.” (Everyman 2) By saying so, God justifies his reason to beckon Death and take his help to end of the life of Everyman on earth. God summons Death, not as a slayer but as an Educator on His behalf. He relies on Death as a Divine intervention, as he believes that if the man is left to himself, his morality would further lower. Everyman feels more like tragedy as Death is the protagonist in the play. The world and its relations and materialistic gains are not to be trusted (Brusteras and Rasmussen 3).
 The character of Death

When Death visits Everyman, he is unwilling and unprepared to go. Everyman does not understand what death is and why it has come because of his ignorance. Death asserts its presence by saying that he has been sent by majesty, god, whom Everyman has forgotten. However, he cannot escape as it is “God's commandment” that must be obeyed. When Everyman tries to bribe Death with wealth, Death rejects his o?er by saying that “I set naught by gold, silver, nor riches, Nor by pope, emperor, king, duke, nor princes” (Everyman 5).

Those lines show the strong character of Death which cannot be bought with materialistic lures. When Death vanishes, giving Everyman one more chance, Everyman realizes how he has wasted his life and feels unprepared for the next journey. He wishes that he was never born- “I would to God I had never been begot; (Everyman 6). Those lines show that now he has met Death face to face, he can feel the fear of pain in both his mind and body. He desperately seeks help from his friends who are shown as personifications of his deeds, possessions, and qualities in the play such as Fellowship, Strength, Discretion, Beauty, deeds, knowledge and more.
Death, Everyman  and his closest friends

The character of Death

Now that Everyman knows that Death is inevitable, he turns to one of his closest friends, Fellowship, who encourages him to share his woes. Everyman reveals the Death order he has received from God and wishes Fellowship to accompany him. However, Fellowship gets frightened once he learns that there is no return from this journey “till the day of doom”; (Everyman 8). Thus, the presence of Death here exposes the reality of the worldly relations and their fallacy. Everyman is now disillusioned about Fellowship once he realizes his shallowness and cowardice.

Everyman, jilted by Fellowship, looks for solace and support in Kindred and Cousin. However, they too express their unwillingness to help him and request him to embark on his journey alone. Despite the earlier promises of “we will live and die together,” the two refuse to join him and Everyman feels disappointed once more in his friends and relationships. Everyman feels lonely and rejected and calls upon his Goods and riches, hoping for some guidance and support. When Everyman requests Goods to accompany him on his journey of Death, Goods refuses by saying that it is not possible for it to follow a “man in such voyages.” In fact, it reminds Everyman that he would not have been in such a plight if he had loved her moderately and shared her with the needy and poor- “But if thou had me loved moderately during, As to the poor given part of me” (Everyman 14).

Everyman, feeling low and dejected, goes in search of Good-Deeds. However, Good-Deeds is weak and sick and cannot take the journey of Death, and this is because Everyman has not paid attention to her. She reminds him how his “book of account.” lie under the feet and his “soul's heaviness” (Everyman 16).

Regretting her helplessness, she advises him to see his sister Knowledge. Knowledge is willing to accompany him but proposes Everyman to visit Confession, a “cleansing river.” Confession asks Everyman to “kneel down, and ask mercy” from God Almighty and promises to give him a precious jewel called penance. Everyman knows that his time is short and works on his puri?cation. He knows that he has to save his soul and beg for the Kindness of God. Thus, with the help of Knowledge and Confession, Everyman finally gets the wisdom to overcome his pains and sufferings.
Death is an individual journey

The play shows that Death is an individual journey on which one cannot expect anyone to accompany them. Their friends, relative, riches and wealth, cannot save one when death strikes.  The plot of Everyman tests the world relations and friendships created by man, when he suddenly faces death. Thus, the play examines the doctrine of friendship as asserted by Conle (374). Those very friends that promise to be with him in his life turn down his request to accompany him on his last journey. Death can be seen as a catalyst for change for Everyman and show him the reality of the world he lives in. Moreover, Death as an agent of God feels responsible to Him and is acquainted with Him intimately.

Death, Everyman and his closest friends

He says” Every man will I beset that liveth beastly, Against God's laws, and dreadeth not folly” (Everyman 2). Death comes across as a character who is under the control of God. He is strict and cannot be bribed and is determined to follow the orders of God. It is unavoidable and can be beaten only by leading a spiritual life.. Death is viewed from the Catholic point of view in the play Everyman. The ultimate goal is eternal life in Heaven once the soul is saved before death. Only a spiritual journey can lead to an eternal life with God.

Death forces one to be accountable for his every action and deeds. The only way to avoid death is to achieve an everlasting life with God. Death is just a between the mortal world and the eternal afterlife. For those who are on the path of righteous, they need not fear Death as they will enter the eternal happiness in heaven.

Death is the foreground of the play as that is what lurks in the mind of the Everyman. The whole play is a consideration of what man must do before death and what happens to him after death. The role of death is to make people look within and judge themselves based on their deeds and morality and not based on the wealth they have accumulated.  Death should not be feared if one has lived a pious and righteous life, detached from the worldly gains. Death is like a litmus test for Everyman that tests his relationship with God and his worldly relatives and friends. Everyman is directed by Discretion, Strength, Beauty and Five Wits to vest the priest for his redemption. It is only Knowledge that remains with him till the ends while beauty, wits and discretion fade away with old age (Rosenberg 13).

While his Knowledge remains with him till his death, it is his good deeds that travel with him even beyond death. Everyman undergoes a remarkable transformation once he understands death and the importance of good deeds, knowledge, and penance over worldly possessions. He no longer fears death, but welcomes it as a righteous man, as he knows that he can enjoy an eternal life with God. Thus, death should be blamed or feared as it is an agent of God. It should be seen as a transition to a better life as death as it ensures peace and stability. Death is indeed a learning experience for Everyman.

Anonymous. "Everyman."  Courier Corporation, vol. 1, no. 1, 1995, pp. 1-30.

Bruster, Douglas and Eric Rasmussen. "Everyman and Mankind."  A&C Black, vol. 1, no. 1, 2011, pp. 1-292.

Conle, John. " The Doctrine of Friendship in Everyman."  Speculum, vol. 44, no. 3, 1969, pp. 374-382.

Laan, Thomas F. V. ""Everyman": A Structural Analysis." PMLA, Publications of the Modern Language Association, vol. 78, no. 5, 1963, pp. 465.

Lester, G.A. "Three Late Medieval Morality Plays: Everyman, Mankind and Mundus et Infans: A New Mermaids Anthology."  Bloomsbury Publishing, vol. 1, no. 1, 2014, pp. 1-208.

Rosenberg. " Parallels: The morality play “Everyman” and selected tales of Nathaniel Hawthorne."  ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, vol. 1, no. 1, 2008, pp. 1-19.