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"Everyman" Morality Play Literary Analysis


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This is the first attempt of a literary essay by ds15 (10th grade) on the theme of the morality play "Everyman". I will be honest with you and say that I am not happy with how he did. I'd like to have your opinion on how he did and what you would suggest he change or add because while I know how I would write it, I'm having a difficult time putting that into language.

 

The play Everyman, written around 1485, appears to have Death as its primary theme. Death tells Everyman to go on a journey, and this colors the entirety of the play. However, this is not its only theme. It is a play about life, and how it is to be lived. The play mentions various things of this life repeatedly, and how they will affect the titular protagonist in the future.

 

The primary theme must be about life because it is designed to show a viewer or reader how to live their life. Roughly the first half contains Death's visit, and Everyman finding that his old "Friends", his family and Goods (material goods), that he had relied upon, are unable to help him.

 

In lines 4 -6, the overt theme is presented by the Messenger:

The Summoning of Everyman called it is,

That of our lives and ending shows

How transitory we be all day.

 

However, this cannot be all the writer hopes to accomplish. It is designed more as a warning for this life, as evident from lines 338 - 342, spoken by Everyman:

Of all my works I must show

How I have lived and my days spent;

Also of ill deeds, that I have used

In my time, sith (footnote explains that it is Middle English for "this") life was me lent;

And of all virtues that I have refused.

 

So, we can see by this that Death, while a major theme, is not the only major theme in the play. Death is the stated theme of the play, while life, and what one must do during it is an indirect theme no less important. Because of this, Life and Death must be the two main focuses of this play.

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Jean,

 

I will take a crack at this, only because it is so hard to critique your son's writing (or your husband's, for that matter).

 

First of all, everything he says is too tentative. Instead of ...

 

appears to have Death as its primary theme AND The primary theme must be about life because it is designed to show a viewer or reader how to live their life AND Life and Death must be the two main focuses

 

So, my first suggestion would be to just state clearly the point that is being made.

 

However, perhaps he is not clear on what he thinks. Do you think that he understands the play? Is his writing normally better than this? Unless the instructions asked for two themes, he should pick one. Is the play about DEATH or LIFE? Once he decides, there are several good statements about how the theme is life - a kind of Carpe Diem attitude. I would suggest that he proceed with that and rework it so that all his evidence supports that idea.

 

Well, it was harder than I thought to make comments. Perhaps you can reply with the assignment, and I can give it some more thought later tonight.

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The play Everyman, written around 1485, appears to have Death as its primary theme. Death tells Everyman to go on a journey, and this colors the entirety of the play. However, this is not its only theme. It is a play about life, and how it is to be lived. The play mentions various things of this life repeatedly, and how they will affect the titular protagonist in the future.

 

The primary theme must be about life because it is designed to show a viewer or reader how to live their life. Roughly the first half contains Death's visit, and Everyman finding that his old "Friends", his family and Goods (material goods), that he had relied upon, are unable to help him.

 

In lines 4 -6, the overt theme is presented by the Messenger:

The Summoning of Everyman called it is,

That of our lives and ending shows

How transitory we be all day.

 

However, this cannot be all the writer hopes to accomplish. It is designed more as a warning for this life, as evident from lines 338 - 342, spoken by Everyman:

Of all my works I must show

How I have lived and my days spent;

Also of ill deeds, that I have used

In my time, sith (footnote explains that it is Middle English for "this") life was me lent;

And of all virtues that I have refused.

 

So, we can see by this that Death, while a major theme, is not the only major theme in the play. Death is the stated theme of the play, while life, and what one must do during it is an indirect theme no less important. Because of this, Life and Death must be the two main focuses of this play.

 

Okay, I don't think this is too bad, but I do see some improvements I would recommend. I don't have too much of a problem with his nuanced thesis, but it could be made more explicit, something like: "While death is typically understood to be the theme of Everyman, it is also equally about life."

 

However, with the citations, I think the student has fallen into a common error when citing: The citation is not your argument. I like to explain it to students like this: You put forward your argument as if you were a prosecuting attorney. Your citation/source is a key witness, but it, in itself, is not your whole argument. You put forward your argument, then call in your witness (citation), and then you tell the judge/jury the importance of what the witness said.

 

Currently, the paper reads introduction, citation, citation, citation, conclusion. Instead, it should read like this: introduction; argument 1, citation, how citation proves argument; argument 2, citation, how citation proves argument; argument 3, citation, how citation proves argument. This would make the paper more "full bodied."

 

Does this help?

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For 10th grade, I'd want him to flesh things out a little better. He stays lightly on the surface of all of his points. I'd also want him to include more of a description of the play and how it's style is different than the average technique. That is one of the key features of Everyman and I think should be touched on. Reading his essay, I wouldn't know that Everyman is supposed to represent "every man," and while he mentions them, it's not clear that goods, fellowship, etc., are actual characters. I think he has a good base to build on but he needs more detail.

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For 10th grade, I'd want him to flesh things out a little better. He stays lightly on the surface of all of his points. I'd also want him to include more of a description of the play and how it's style is different than the average technique. That is one of the key features of Everyman and I think should be touched on. Reading his essay, I wouldn't know that Everyman is supposed to represent "every man," and while he mentions them, it's not clear that goods, fellowship, etc., are actual characters. I think he has a good base to build on but he needs more detail.

 

Ah, yes. This is true. And, thank you for spotting what is lacking--how the play is different than the typical. True confessions: I haven't had a chance to read it myself. Note to self: Rectify that oversight!

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  • 1 month later...

One month later (mainly because of having to take time off to move the ILs) this is his finished product. We were still arguing about it two days ago because it still "doesn't speak to him". How hard could it be to dash off five paragraphs?

 

The play Everyman was written around 1485 AD, in England. It is a Morality Play, a type of play commonly performed as a teaching aid in Europe during the Middle Ages. At first glance, it is a theme about death. The personification of Death speaks to Everyman at the start of the play, and tells Everyman he must take a journey to make an account to his master, God. However, the author uses Death as a foil, to talk about life.

It is easy to think that Death is the primary theme of the play. Death is a character, and the entire play is coloured by the journey Everyman must undertake. The character Death tells Everyman that he must take a journey he will not return from, in lines 146-152.

Everyman: Death, if I should this pilgrimage take,

And my reckoning surely make,

Show me, for saint charity,

Should I not come again shortly?

Death: No, Everyman; and thou be once there,

Thou mayst never more come here,

Trust me verily.

However, Death gets us to think about life. Without Death, as a foil for the primary theme of life, the theme of life loses importance, and lacks urgency. In lines 338-342, the author states what the reckoning, the calling of accounts is about:

Everyman: Of all my works I must show

How I have lived and my days spent;

Also of ill deeds, that I have used

In my time, sith life was me lent;

And of all virtues that I have refused.

Everyman goes to make an account of his life. The author then talks about life, and various actions and attributes that he believes would be helpful. For example, in lines 417-421, the author details how the love of earthly things, in the form of the character Goods, cannot be relied upon for help. Later, in lines 518-522, the author speaks of some things that are positive: The character Knowledge, sister to the character Good Deeds.

That shall I do verily;

Though that on my feet I may not go,

I have a sister, that shall with you also,

Called Knowledge, which shall you abide,

To help you make that dreadful reckoning.

In short, the play Everyman, while appearing to be about death, is really only using death as a foil to talk about life, and the negative and positive things people do in it.

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  • 2 months later...

Wow! The second one was much better. Sounds like he took on board some of the advice and it really improved. I don't really know much about high school writing, which is why I'm reading this board, but just wanted to say that the second attempt seemed hugely improved and, IMO, you can definitely be encouraged that he is moving in the right direction.

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