Everyman - Play Analysis
Uploaded by Casev12 on Apr 01, 2000
The Parable of the Talents therefore refers to the metaphor "life is a precious possession." If you have many talents, you must "invest" them wisely--use them as you should use material goods, in a charitable way. If you have a few talents, you must invest them wisely as well. Even if you have only one talent, you must invest it wisely and do good in the world with that talent.
In an important way, the play Everyman demonstrates the ways in which a person who does have talents (Good Deeds that are trapped in the ground) wastes them, like the servant who buries his one talent in the ground and is cast into the dark, the "place of wailing and grinding of teeth." According to the play's allegory, what forces in everyday human life cause us to Every persons to waste our talents?
Plot
Everyman, English morality play written anonymously in the late 15th century. The play is an allegory of death and the fate of the soul. Summoned by Death, Everyman calls on Fellowship, Goods, and Strength for help, but they desert him. Only Good Deeds and Knowledge remain faithful and lead him toward salvation. It is generally considered the finest of the morality plays.
Scene 1:
God tells Death to go down to earth and retrieve Everyman. God orders Death to do this because God feels that it is time or Everyman to go to the "afterlife." Death wants Everyman to show God weather or not he is good enough for heaven. In this scene, Everyman asks Death many various questions, trying to persuade him to allow him to stay on earth. Everyman wants to know if he can bring certain things with him. He also wants to know if he would be able to stay on Earth for a longer time. Death says that he will take no bribes. Should he go to Heaven or to hell?
Scene 2:
Everyman asks Fellowship to join him on his journey. Fellowship, being the friend that he was says "sure, I will go". When Everyman tells Fellowship that this journey is to either Heaven or hell, Fellowship changes his mind. He refuses to go with Everyman. He explains that he will not spare his own life for the sake of Everyman. All in good faith, fellowship said goodbye and apologized to Everyman as he leaves.
Scene 3:
After Everyman’s first rejection, he stoops low enough to ask Kindred...