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The Somonyng of Everyman (The Summoning of Everyman), usually referred to simply as Everyman, is a late 15th-century morality play by an anonymous English author, printed circa 1530. It is possibly a translation of the Dutch play Elckerlijc (Everyman).
The Summoning of Everyman is one of the last — perhaps the last — of the medieval morality plays, probably written towards the end of the fifteenth century. Everyman is a superficially simple play. It serves as a memento mori, and can be related to the ubiquitous medieval Ars Moriendi, the art of dying.
Analysis. The messenger opens the play, by calling for the audience’s attention to “The Summoning of Everyman .” He says that the play will demonstrate the “transitory” nature of mortal lives and the ostensibly pleasurable but ultimately pernicious effects of sin.
Jan 14, 2020 · Learn about the medieval morality play "Everyman", which explores the themes of death, sin, and salvation. Find out the plot, characters, and message of this allegorical drama.
- Wade Bradford
The Summoning of Everyman is a play comprised of a single and very long act. The action (excepting the appearance and disappearance of the presenters of the Prologue and Epilogue) is continuous, and there is never a point in time during
Everyman, originally known as The Summoning of Everyman, is an English morality play composed in the late 15th century; the author’s identity is unknown. The play, in which God summons the character of “Everyman” to account for his sins, uses allegorical characters to explore themes of Christian salvation and repentance.
God appears in the play only once. Near the beginning, he criticizes Everyman’s sinfulness and his ungrateful disregard of Christ’s sacrifice for humanity, and then orders Death to summon Everyman to God’s judgment. God’s summoning of Everyman drives the plot of the play.
