Everyman
Characters:
God
Death
Everyman
Fellowship
Cousin
Kindred
Goods
Good Deeds
Beauty
Strength
Five-Wits
Discretion
Knowledge
A brief summary of the play
God looks down on humanity and sees that His people are wicked and sinful. He knows
they behave this way because they do not realize that they must one day return to Him
and face the consequences of their behavior.
God sends for his messenger Death and tells Death to bring Everyman to him.
Death comes to Everyman. Death tells Everyman he must go to God and present God
with his “book of accounts” – the record of his actions, good and bad, in this world.
Everyman says he is afraid and confused. He asks Death for more time, but Death does
not relent. Then Everyman tries to bribe Death. Death laughs and says that so many try
to bribe him, he could have all the riches in the world if he wanted them, but riches mean
nothing to Death. Finally, Everyman asks Death if he may have someone to accompany
him on his journey to meet God, and Death agrees.
Everyman first seeks out Fellowship, his good friend, to help him on his way. At first
Fellowship promises to do anything for Everyman, but when Everyman tells Fellowship
that he has been commanded to go meet God, Fellowship refuses him. Fellowship tells
Everyman that he will gladly accompany him for drinking, or sporting, or otherwise
having fun, but Fellowship won’t be there when he has to face God.
Everyman then considers that his family will be more faithful to him than Fellowship, so
he seeks out Kindred and Cousin. At first Kindred and Cousin promise to stand by
Everyman through thick and thin, but when Everyman tells them that he wants them to
help him on his journey to meet God, they make excuses and desert him. Kindred says
he is too busy, and Cousin has a cramp in his toe).
Realizing that neither Kindred nor Fellowship will help him, Everyman turns to his
Goods (wealth, riches) to see if they will help. Goods laughs at the idea. I can only lead
you to Hell, Goods tells him – didn’t you know that? In fact, Goods thought Everyman
wanted to go to Hell all along. Why else did you spend so much time thinking about me
and storing me up, says Goods, instead of living a proper life?
Finally, Everyman looks to his Good Deeds. Good Deeds says she would gladly help
Everyman on his journey to God, but she is too weak because he has neglected her for so
long.
Then Knowledge tells Everyman that in order to make a successful journey, he must go
to Confession. Knowledge tells Everyman that once he has confessed his sins to a priest,
Good Deeds will be strong enough to help him.
Following his confession, Everyman is ready to begin his journey. Knowledge and Good
Deeds call Beauty, Discretion, Strength, and Wits to join them. They set off on their
way, but soon Everyman comes to his grave, where his journey must stop.
Accompanied by Beauty, Discretion, Strength, and Wits, Everyman approaches the end
of his journey with confidence. As he nears his grave, however, Beauty quickly falls by
the wayside. Then Strength leaves him. Discretion follows soon after, and finally Wits
abandons him. At the very last, even Knowledge leaves Everyman behind.
Standing before his grave, all that remains with Everyman is his Good Deeds. She
willingly goes into the grave with Everyman. They disappear from view, but we hear
Everyman welcomed to Heaven by God.