Perception of Death and the Treatment of Death in Everyman - Research Paper Example

? The Perception of Death and the Treatment of Death in Everyman of the of the The Perception of Death and the Treatment of Death in Everyman Everyman is an allegorical play written by an unknown writer. The play shows the moral values that every man in this world should ponder while living a life. The author perceives death as the reminder to everyman about his duties in life. The author has portrayed death as a character, but death is something that is inevitable and must be faced by every living being on earth. Considering the reality of death, the author has portrayed death as someone who calls Everyman, the protagonist of the play to meet God and reply for his deeds. The protagonist asks Death that he wants some time to get some friends to accompany him in his journey to his destination to meet God. He gets some time, but he realizes that the friends who were dear to him are not ready to accompany him. The author perceives and treats death as a call from God to enable people realize what is good for them in life. Everyman as the name suggests represents every man on earth. The play as a whole is a play that portrays Christian values and can be understood as an allegorical or morality play. The play starts with God’s call to Death where he claims that human beings in the world are not following his commandments and are committing sins (Lester, 1981). He asks the Death to bring Everyman to answer for his committed deeds. Death works as God’s messenger who brings God’s message to Everyman that he should appear before God to answer for his deeds. God sends for Everyman as he says, “...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...” (Everyman, 1987, 65-71) Death is asked to tell Everyman to conduct a pilgrimage in order to reach God. The sending of Death ensures that Everyman has to leave the world and its belongings in order to reach the court of God. Death also represents the abolition of life and reaches Everyman to inform him of his ending to reach his final destination before God. The representation of death in Everyman is not fearsome, but educative as the figure when comes forth Everyman, he is not frightened at seeing him. However, when he is told that he is going to come before God, he is frightened considering himself alone and secluded. He thinks that he will gain someone’s sympathy in his journeying towards God and this sympathy will lead him to have Heaven (Spinrad, 1987). Death comes and informs Everyman, “Death: In great haste I am sent to thee From God out of his Majesty. Everyman: What, sent to me?” (Everyman, 1987, 90-92) At hearing a call from God with Death as God’s messenger, Everyman gets disturbed considering him incapable to appear before God in his present condition. He calls Death “gentle” And asks him for some time, in which, he can arrange for some friends to accompany him in his pilgrimage. Everyman says, “O wretched caitiff! whither shall I flee That I might 'scape endless sorrow? Now , gentle Death, spare me till tomorrow, That I may amend me With good advisement.” (Everyman, 1987, 171-75) He sees no place to escape and seeks mercy from Death. He regards himself extremely sorrowful and distressed not because of appearance of Death, but because of being called by God when he is not ready to appear. As mentioned earlier on, death is portrayed not as fearsome and horrible as it was supposed to appear at that time when the play was written. In medieval times and middle ages, death was portrayed with skeletons or someone with frightening appearance that at once made the observer to tremble (Cawley, 1970). Death in Everyman was portrayed as a messenger of God who was so merciful that he gave some time to Everyman to search for his companions for the journey. Death let everyman to ponder over the differences between right and wrong that assign him the title of educator in place of fearsome creature who used to come to snatch the lives of living beings. Everyman is regarded as the most influential play in the category of morality plays as death stands as an educator in place of a horrible figure (Spinrad, 1987). With the arrival of Death in the play, a chain of incidents start happening in the play as Everyman is assigned a job to find some companions to accompany him in the journey. He has to make judgement about his good or bad friends that stayed with him all his life. The audience of the play see a character that is wholly developed, however after having a meeting with Death, he ponders over whole life and the audience is made to analyze his whole life in its good or bad colours (Spinard, 1987). The portrayal of death in Everyman informs about the perceived convictions of people living in middle ages. The play was written as per the belief set of audience of the play. The depiction of death as God’s representative and messenger is indicative of the fact that God is Omnipotent and all powerful with everything in His hands. All the medieval literature talks about God as the driving power of everything in the world and so this play portrays. Considering this factual statement related to omnipotence of God, the meaning of the play can be understood in religious meanings. This play cannot be categorized as a morality play only, but one which ensures the glory of God. Everyman being the protagonist is dependent on the character of Death to reach his final destination and Death can be understood as chief figure helps the development of the character of Everyman (Porter, 1975). Death in Everyman is represented first as slave of God who follows His orders and reaches Everyman as God’s messenger and follower. Later on, after reaching Everyman, he appears as the life taker as death keeps the power of taking lives. Everyman is not afraid of his appearance, but gets upset with his power of taking lives of people (Gilman, 1989). Therefore, at one point, Death appears powerless and subservient as he follows the orders of God, but let on, he appears powerful and mighty because of his power over human beings. But, again, he cannot take the life of any person without the orders of God. When God orders death to go to Everyman, He does not ask him of his approval and just orders him to make sure their master slave relationship. Death in response to God’s order shows his acknowledgement and is ready to follow God’s order. Therefore, it is quite clear that before God, death is powerless (Gilman, 1989). Death is only powerless before God, but in front of human beings, its image is alarming and frightening not because of its appearance, but because of its association to ending of life. Considering this image, Everyman in the whole play tries to get rid of Death. Death is fully aware that it cannot be ignored or neglected by human beings and this is the reason that Everyman is unable to neglect Death and is always aware of its presence. When Death reaches him, he tries to take refuge in his friends as he asks Death for some time. After listening to his call from God and Death as a messenger, the first ones to leave him are Fellowship, Kindred and Goods that prefer being in world. Later on, he is accompanied by Good Deeds, Knowledge, Confession, Discretion, Beauty, Strength and five of his wits. Every companion leaves him in the way to reach his final destination except Good Deeds that remain with him throughout. Death makes him realize the importance of Good Deeds and makes him to understand the betrayal of worldly belongings who seclude Everyman. Death is important in the play as it makes Everyman to see the right path to follow in life. Everyman comes to realize the importance of his own self through the appearance of Death, which makes sure that he reaches to God after knowing the truth about everything. Everyman gave importance to worldly possessions such as friends, family, luxuries and so on; however, these being worldly possessions only do not accompany man towards his journey to the other world, the world of God. Death appears as an educator of Everyman. It is not aggressive or cruel, but gentle as it allows time to Everyman to correct himself before appearing to God. Death being the slave and messenger of God is powerless as it is not able to do anything without God’s approval and order. However, Everyman tries to get rid of Death considering it fearsome and life taking. Lastly, he realizes that God is all powerful and even Death obeys God, so whatever should be done should be in the obedience of God. References Cawley, A.C. (1970). Everyman and Medieval Miracle Plays. New York: J.M. Dent & Sons. Everyman. (1984). The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Volume B. 2nd ed. Ed. New York. Norton. pp. 2121-2141. Lester, G.A. (ed). (1981). Everyman (in Three Late Medieval Morality Plays). London: A&C Black. Gilman, D. (ed). (1989). Everyman & Company: essays on the theme and structure of the European moral play. New York: AMS Press. Potter, Robert. (1975). The English Morality Play: Origins, History and Influence of a Dramatic Tradition. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. Spinrad, Phoebe S. (1987). The summons of death on the medieval and Renaissance English stage. Columbus: Ohio State University Press. Read More