Perception and Treatment

Research Paper

COURSE # and TITLE__ENGL 102: Literature and Composition _

SEMESTER OF ENROLLMENT_Fall D 2013_

NAME__David D. Mesmer__ID #_L25904166__

WRITING STYLE USED_MLA_

Thesis Statement:

In "Everyman" the author shows that Death is used as God's messenger and he is sent under the authority of God.

Outline:

1. Introduction

2. Summary of the Characters

God, Messenger, Death, Everyman, Fellowship, Kindred, Cousin, Goods, Good Deeds, Knowledge, Confession, Beauty, Strength, Discretion, Five Wits Angel and Doctor.

3. Author's perception and treatment of Death

4. Conclusion

Death is under God's authority and is His messenger to bring Everyman to account for his life here on Earth.

David Mesmer

Professor: Mrs. Katie Robinson

201340 Fall 2013 ENGL 102-D28 LUO

8 December 2013

Perception and Treatment of Death in

"Everyman"

"Everyman" is an English morality play that was written by an unknown author in the late fifteenth century. A morality play includes allegorical drama, in which characters personify moral qualities or abstractions. "It achieves a beautiful, simple solemnity in treating allegorically the theme of death and the fate of the human soul--of Everyman's soul as he tries to justify his time on earth" (Everyman, Encyclopaedia). "Everyman" is meant to communicate a simple moral lesson to the audience. "The author of "Everyman" presents the hero's changing attitudes towards death and towards himself as the result of a series of encounters with other characters" (Goldhamer, 88). Many of the characters represent influences on the lives of people and the character Everyman represents all people. The author uses these characters to show what happens when a person relies on these things instead of God and takes their eye off of the end goal. In the play, the author shows that Death is God's messenger and is sent under the authority of God.

The play starts out with a Messenger who gets the audience's attention and announces the play and the importance of the theme. The theme that the Messenger points to is "How transitory we be all day" (Everyman. Literature, line 6). The Messenger speaks of many of the influences on people's lives each day and how those things will not matter in the end. The pleasure and good times that people seek during their lives will not help them when they stand before God. He warns the audience to pay attention to the ending and apply it to their lives each day.

The author then has God speak. God describes mankind and how they have wondered away from what He had intended for them. He speaks of them being "Drowned in sin..." (Everyman. Literature, line 26) . God speaks about how man no longer fears Him. He even tells of dying for them in order for them to have salvation. God speaks of people using the seven deadly sins to feed their own desires and search for pleasure. God tells of offering mercy, but few ask for it because they are too worried about earthly riches. He says that he must hand out justice and then calls for Death who is the antagonist of the play and God's messenger.

Death then answers God and makes it very clear that he is under his authority to do whatever God asks. Death speaks of who he will search out on his mission from God. He says that he sees Everyman walking and thinking of earthly things. The author uses Everyman as the protagonist who represents all of mankind. "The first dramatic incident in "Everyman" is an encounter of its hero with Death, who has come suddenly upon the stage to summon him for the final reckoning with God" (Dunn, 486). After Death tells Everyman why he is there, Everyman tries to bribe him with possessions to postpone the meeting with God so that he can be better prepared. Death explains to Everyman that he does