Kina Hamilton
Professor Meng
English 102
18 October 2015
Scared to Death To understand an unknown author’s perspective and purpose for creating a literary piece the historical content must be examined. The only significant value the unknown author of “Everyman: the morality play” placed on death is the ability to place fear in the hearts of his audience long enough to keep attention on his work. The author begins with an introduction calling it a Treatise to present death as the focus. He would like to challenge the audience to do good works in order to win God’s love and acceptance. He does not think the topic of good deeds alone will gain the attention of an audience. The fear of dying is a proven success and provides an interesting plot for the play. “HERE BEGINNETH A TREATISE HOW THE HIGH FATHER OF HEAVEN SENDETH DEATH TO SUMMON EVERY CREATURE- TO COME AND GIVE ACCOUNT OF THEIR LIVES IN THIS WORLD, AND IS IN MANNER OF MORAL PLAY.”
The imagery can be pictured by simply reading the plays Treatise. The bold capital letters suggest a penetrating, deep, angry taunting voice. The author is the omniscient narrator to his play. He begins to address the audience with the use of a messenger. The messenger comes across as a southern Baptist preacher on a Sunday morning. Tanner of Humor in Everyman and the Middle English Morality Play said “short of sermons, no other form of literature is so unequivocally preachy” (149). The moral based theme has led some to believe the author may have been a cleric of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church of the 15th century emphasized good works. Missionaries preached to the public while doing good deeds such as serving food to the hungry. Not everyone believed in the idea of good deeds to get into heaven. Keene, Cornell and O’donnell stated “Rejecting the Catholic Church’s focus on good works as the key to achieving salvation, Luther argued that only faith could bring salvation” (299). The moral play gave an opportunity to continue the message of good deeds without conflict of discussion. The Catholic Church was not fond of theatre because of it is sinful nature but liturgical drama eventually allowed in the late 15th century as long as it could be used to teach God’s word. People are challenging to entertain without some form of excitement, crisis, or sinful acts. They want to live safe, politically correct, and spiritually good lives so they live vicariously through the actors in drama. Removing sin presents a problem in drama. The author’s messenger used fear to his advantage and delivers a warning message to the audience that they may be enjoying sin now but death will cause “the soul to weep”(14). He begins preaching the message of doing good deeds for salvation. “The Renaissance period encourage public missionary work and teaching about God.”(Keene, 299). The topic of death or someone dying is a quick way to silence a room and gain everyone’s attention. Death immediately makes a person think of life and the welfare of family. Ryan gives details in "Doctrine and Dramatic Structure in Everyman noted “the author is very careful to state the seven sacraments and especially with the three that are received upon the approach of death- pendence, eucharist, and extreme unction” (732-735). Next the character playing God personally calls on the character named Death to send a message to the sinful people. God: They be so cumbered with worldly riches That needs on them I must do justice, On every man living without fear. Where art thou, Death, thou mighty messenger (60-63)?
Death has been called on by God. To think of a loving God calling on death is eye opening. A metaphor to understand this relationship is comparing a mother and fathers relationship. A mother calls a father to come home from work early because the children are misbehaving. The mother is in charge and knows exactly how she would like to run her house. The children have decided to disobey so mother calls in her reinforcement. He fulfills all of mother’s wishes for the purpose of running a peaceful, happy home. Father is the fear of death placed in the audience.

The author’s use of personification to represent death is an excellent way to bring imagery to the scene. When Death enters the stage and answers God’s calling it becomes as real as the Dead Sea Scrolls. Death: Almighty God, I am here at your will, Your commandment to fulfil. (64-65).

God has welcomed his “mighty messenger” to impose death on all men. Death becomes the antagonist character preying on a simple worldly man called “Everyman”. The sight of a character with the name Death is daunting to even the most courageous man. The protagonist is Everyman and he reacts to Death as any petrified man would. As Everyman enters the stage, Death yells at him to “stand still” (85). Death puts fear in Everyman when he tells him God has sent for him. Everyman begs Death to spare his life. Everyman: To give a reckoning longer leiser I crave This blind matter troubleth my wit (101-102).
The image of this humble man literally at the feet of death is breath taking. Death stood strong and bold never budging from his mission. Death: Lord, I will in the world go run overall, And cruelly outsearch both great and small; Every man will I beset that liveth beastly Out of God’s laws, and dreadeth not folly (72-75). Everyman seems destined to face death and be condemned to hell. The thought alone would keep and audience anxious to see what happens next. Death tells Everyman he will honor God without giving mercy. Everyman’s friends were abandoning him when he needed them most. The friend’s names use symbolism and are personified to explain the daily life of most people. The characters do what each one would typically do in Everyman’s situation. When death or the threat of death strikes, a person’s daily life is put on hold. Friends and family all have reasons for supporting someone in a time of need and eventually go back to content life. Death cannot be bribed, tested, or challenged by man. I am Death, that no man dreadeth, For every man I rest, and no man spareth; For it is God’s commandment That all to me should be obedient (115-118). Eventually death allows Everyman to call on others to testify on his behalf for his good deeds. Everyman : Alas I may well weep with sighs deep! Now have I no manner of company To help me in my journey, and me to keep; And also my writing is full unready (185-188).

All of the personified characters represent spiritual virtues, friends and family. Death ultimately overpowers all except Good Deeds. The author’s character Death cannot be persuaded or bought to let Everyman live. Through the use of personification, the audience is able to visualize themselves in Everyman’s dilemma and fear of Death. “Dramatically, the aloneness of Everyman in this episode makes him a more pathetic figure (Ryan 725). The author’s message of good deeds continues to keep an audiences attention by relating to the personification of Everyman and the failure of friends against death.

Perhaps the most convincing point was the author’s view of salvation. He acknowledges Jesus Christ’s crucifixion but he does not think His death alone is significant enough to offer man God’s grace and salvation. Death: For before God thou shalt answer, and show Thy many bad deeds, and good but a few; How thou hast spent thy life, and is what wise, Before the chief Lord of paradise (107-110).
The anonymous author of Everyman was written during medieval times. Etzel of the book Praxis wrote “No one has to fear spending an eternity in hell when their faith is in Jesus Christ to save your soul” (225). The Roman Catholic Church was popular during this time period. Towns wrote “Christianity is the only world religion to claim that its founder not only died, but bodily rose again” (39)! The author’s emphasizes on the fear of death instead of God’s grace to encourage exposes his lack of understanding grace. The author seems to be Christian yet grace without work was overlooked. The author’s, Adu-Gyamfi and Schmidt says “Everyman focuse on doing good works at the only avenue into heaven” (265). The irony is Everyman enters heaven without a life of good deeds but by God’s grace. Magill of "Everyman”: “Masterpieces of World Literature." noted “after Everyman accepts penance, Good – deeds is fit for the journey.”(1) As Everyman is sinking into his grave he calls out to the Lord to save him and with those words angels begin to sing:

Angel: Come, excellent elect spouse, to Jesu! Hereabove thou shalt go Because of thy singular virtue. Now the soulis taken the body fro (897-900),

Everyman confessed his sins to God. “Good deeds begin to revive since constriction and amendment free and the accumulated merits of past virtuous actions” (Magil1). The author failed to see that even in his own play it was not God’s deed work that got Everyman to Heaven. It was his Grace from the Savior. Hindson of “ The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologies” of the stated “Man’s works cannot be a cause for salvation or else salvation would not be grace alone- that is, grace alone would be insufficient”(257). Death served as an antagonist character in the play to help deliver the author’s perception of salvation. He acknowledges true death does not decide anyone’s final destiny: Jokinen of "Everyman: An Introduction states a “progression from despair and fear of death to a ‘Christian resignation’ that is the prelude to redemption.” When Christian’s know God’s word and have faith, they know not to fear death. Only God knows the time and hour when he will call his servants home. “When one speaks of God’s grace as sufficient, it simply means that His grace is satisfactory to save believers both now and forever” (Hindson 24-25). His warning reminder starts as fearful but it ends with hope. Death is a message to all people that their time will also come and to get their life in order. “Everyman-is the most anthologized and consequently the most popular morality plays in the English language” (Tanner 149). The author continues to be successful in keeping his audiences attention through the fear of death and personification. Doing good deeds is his theme but God’s salvation through grace is the understood final message.

Works Cited
Adu-Gyamfi, Yaw and Mark Ray Schmidt. Literature and Spirituality. Glenview: Pearson Education, Inc, 2011.Print
Etzel, Gabriel and Ben Gutierrez. Praxis. Ed. Anne Alexander. Virgina Beach: Academx, 2012. Print.
Hindson, Ed and Ergun Caner. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologies. Ed. Edward J. Verstraete. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2008. Print. 6 October 2015.
Jokinen, Anniina. "Everyman: An Introduction.” Luminarium (1993): 314. Web. 5 October 2015. .
Keene, Jennifer D, Saul Cornell and Edward T. O'donnell. Visions of America. second. Vol. 1. Pearson Education, Inc., 2013. Print.
l. n.d.
Magill, Frank N."Everyman." Masterpieces of World Literature." HarperCollins (1989): 278+. Drama. 9 October 2015. Web .
Ryan, Lawrence V. "Doctrine and Dramatic Structure in Everyman." Speculum 32.4 (1957): 723-733. Web. 3 October 2015. .

Tanner, Ron. “Humor in Everyman and the Middle English Morality Play.” Philological Quately 770.20 (1991):149. Web. 3 October 2015.