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NOTES on Everyman, c. 1495 morality play, written by an anonymous author
Phyllis W. Seawright, Ph.D.
Internet source for free download of the script:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/everyman.html
CONTEXT: The rebirth of drama in the Western world began c. 925 A.D. in the
Catholic church’s Easter mass, with the addition of a Latin trope called the Quem
Quaeritis. Thereafter, the popularity of such church dramas grew so much that
soon, other Bible stories were performed in the vernacular (common language) of
the area. These vernacular plays would most likely have been performed outside
the church building, in town squares, pastures, on wagons or platforms, or however
they could be done. These Bible stories were told in story cycles, revealing the
mystery of God’s grace to poor sinners through the incarnation of his Son, Jesus
Christ. The priests gave the staging of these cycle plays over to the trade guilds
among their parishioners. The cycle plays were eventually replaced by miracle or
saints plays, retelling the lives of the saints in the Catholic church, and then by
morality plays, depicting Biblical principles in allegorical stories.
All of these plays were useful in teaching Biblical principles, but they were
also flexible enough to allow for plenty of comic buffoonery. As you read
Everyman, imagine your favorite comic actors in the roles, and you’ll get an idea of
the energy and staging required to perform the play well. Plays like Everyman
established the early form of European drama, with the themes of good v. evil, love
conquering all obstacles, and the hero winning the struggle. Fans of Shakespeare will
see similarities between the style of Everyman and the Bard: liberal quotations and
paraphrases of Bible verses, frequent use of everyday proverbs, quirky characters
that remind you of real people you know……
In addition to lots of verses from the Old Testament, you will hear echoes
from the New Testament books of Philippians and James.
Following Aristotle’s six Poetics for drama, here is an outline of notes on
Everyman.
PLOT: The protagonist, Everyman, must make a pilgrimage/journey to the grave.
The structure follows the Greek model, with 2 or 3 characters talking, then
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Everyman lamenting or someone else summarizing what has just happened and
telling us what’s going to happen next. If you will draw a plot diagram, you can chart
the action as follows:
Exposition: Messenger/God/Death. The Messenger as prologue tells us what’s
about to happen. God tells us how man has turned his back on God’s good gifts of
salvation and eternal life. God sends Death to tell Everyman to get ready to die.
Point of Attack: Death tells Everyman that TODAY is his day to die!
Rising Action: Everyman seeks a friend to go with him, yet all his worldly friends
forsake him, including Fellowship, Kindred (a female character) & Cousin, and
Goods. Everyman finally decides he’d better go see about Good Deeds. Good
Deeds gets her sister Knowledge (of salvation) to take Everyman to make
Confession.
Climax: Everyman makes Confession.
Falling Action: Good Deeds then introduces Everyman to the good gifts of
Discretion, Strength, Beauty, and Five Wits. Everyman goes back to the House of
Salvation for his last communion (last rites/extreme unction). Yet when they all get to
the grave, all these new friends abandon him. Why? Because even though they are
good, they are temporal, of this world, and cannot go with Everyman beyond this
life.
Resolution: Knowledge helps him into the grave, and then Good Deeds goes with
him into heaven. An Angel announces Everyman’s entrance into heaven, and a
Doctor (of Biblical studies or of law) summarizes the lesson of the play as an
epilogue.
CHARACTER: The main characters are Everyman and Good Deeds. You can tell
right away that these names are abstract qualities, as in an allegory. Everyman
represents you and me; Good Deeds is portrayed as a female, but was most likely
played by a man in a female costume, at least in England. When Everyman first
meets Good Deeds, she is lying flat on the ground, too weak to stand. Why?
Because Everyman’s faith is too weak; faith without works is dead, recalling that
hearty verse in the New Testament book of James. You will find this mixture of
literal and figurative application of Biblical principles all through Everyman.
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THEME: This world is not our final home. We must each make a “reckoning,” or
an “accounting” of our deeds, both good and bad. Everyman must find salvation
from his sins and make ready or “fit” for heaven. His “account” book is full of bad
deeds and has no good deeds written in it until he goes to Confession with the
Knowledge of salvation, whereupon Good Deeds is able to go with him on the rest
of the journey to his grave. (Remember, who is the Friend who will stick closer than
a brother, who will never leave you nor forsake you, who has paid for your sins with
his blood? Jesus Christ! And also remember that Good Deeds is the evidence of
your faith, a faith put into action.)
Another strong but secondary theme in this play is to point out the problems
with the priesthood and to praise and pray for the good priests in the church.
DICTION: Rhymed couplets, mostly. The language is early Middle English, and
the spelling is phonetic and inconsistent. It will help you to read it OUT LOUD!
Also note that some of the lines have definitions marked by an * within the line, so
you can read the original word or make a substitution.
MUSIC: The only definite music cue is when the angels sing to welcome Everyman
into heaven. There would be sound effects throughout, of course, and you can
imagine any other musical cues or motifs you would like.
SPECTACLE: Here are some major props and costumes that I’ve noticed. I’m
sure you will think of others as you encounter the characters:
Death’s Dart
Everyman’s Book of Accounts (a HUGE ledger that he drops repeatedly…)
Goods’ moneybags and trunks full of gold (not to be confused with Good Deeds)
The House of Salvation (small tent or large cross representing a church)
Everyman’s Scourge and then his Garment of Contrition
Everyman’s Rod (or Rood) of Grace, which is the Cross
SPINE: Everyman must make himself ready or “fit” for heaven, but he wants a
friend to go with him on this journey to the grave.