Jessie Gambardella - Every man

In one of my drama classes we have been studying morality plays from medieval times. Morality plays were mostly written by nuns and were allegorical plays that make a person question their morals, hence the name. Written very strangely and in a different time period they can be hard to understand. One such play we read was called “Everyman.” Now Everyman was a character and one thing morality plays do not play around with is getting to the point. Other characters names are Good Deeds, Fellowship, Kindred, Five Wits, Knowledge, God, Death, and so on. Now Everyman is exactly what his name states; he is every man and represents all of us. God is upset Everyman is more concerned with wealth and takes His mercy and grace for granted. God sends Death to tell Everyman that he will soon be taken up to be judged by God. Everyman then talks to the character Fellowship asking him to go with Everyman but because the adventure is not filled with fun, his friend, representing all our friends, abandons him. He runs across other characters that represent family, possessions, and Good Deeds, a character who is too weak to join him in his journey.

Everyman then beats himself with a scourge, the same instrument used to whip and punish Jesus. Everyman is then given a jewel called “penance” which is self explanatory I hope. His friends rejoin him but Good Deeds, stronger now, is the only one that can go with Everyman on his journey to God. In heaven Everyman and Good Deeds are met by a Doctor that explains to him the moral of the story that the only thing you can bring with you to heaven is your good deeds. Until Everyman confessed his sins and repented of them his good deeds meant nothing. Morality plays are a form or art just like film is and can also be allegories.