"The Summoning of Everyman"

What garment does Everyman receive from Knowledge? What condition is his "reckoning" in now?

"garment of sorrow" which is a hair shirt that is painful to wear because his back is torn up from scourging himself.

What was the approximate date of "Everyman's" creation?

1510

What is an Allegory?

A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning.

How does the order in which Beauty, Strength, Discretion, and Five-Wits abandon Everyman parallel to the process of aging?

As you grow older, first you lose your good-looks, then your strength, then your judgment (Discretion), and finally your sense (Five-Wits)

Cousin gives the main reason no one wants to accompany Everyman. What is it?

Cousin says that their books are not ready either.

How does Death respond to each?

Death says no to all except he may bring someone with him if he can find someone who will.

How does Everyman react to Death's summons?

Everyman does not believe Death and is shocked.

When Everyman turns to Good Deeds, she is too weak to help him. Why? To whom does she send him for help?

Everyman has too many sins that are weighing her down. She sends him to knowledge.

What happens when Everyman asks Fellowship to go with him? What kinds of things does Fellowship say he would go along for? What has Everyman learned about friendship?

Fellowship promises that he will stay with him until death, he would die for him, go to hell with him. When Everyman asks Fellowship, fellowship says that he just said those things to comfort him. Fellowship says he will go along with him if he were eating or drinking or lusting after women. Everyman learns that friendship is not there when death comes.

What other friends do Good Deeds and Knowledge bring to Everyman? Why are these friends more reliable than Fellowship, Kinship, Cousin, and Goods?

Friends : strength, beauty, discretion, five wits These are personal attributes of everyman, not outside attributes which is more reliable. He has cleared his reckoning.

Who goes with Everyman into the grave?

Good deeds.

Everyman next turns to Goods (wealth). Goods tells the truth about when he can and will help Everyman. What happens when Everyman asks Goods to go with him in this situation? Look carefully at what Goods says in lines 439-45. How permanent is wealth, and how good is wealth for the human soul?

Goods cannot help because he is not a permanent thing, bad for everyman. Cannot do anything for their souls. Goods and money kills a man's soul.

Everyman makes four requests. What are they?

He asks death if he can pay him, if he can come back to the world, if he can have 12 more years, and if he can bring someone with him.

What does God say in his first speech? (Notice how "every man," a general reference, gradually becomes "Everyman," a character, in this speech and the next two.

He is disappointed and believes that people have forgotten what he has done for them. He believes they are sinning too much.

What do the speeches of Knowledge and the Angel suggest about the destination of Everyman's soul after his death?

He is going to heaven.

What must Everyman do? What two metaphors are used to describe what he must do?

He must die. The two metaphors: go on a long journey with his "book of count" which measures the things he has done in his life.

Knowledge isn't just any knowledge--she represents the knowledge of salvation (of how to be saved). Knowledge agrees to do something Good Deeds cannot yet do and no one else will do. What is it?

Knowledge agrees to go with him.

To whom does Knowledge first take Everyman? What does Everyman do there, and what is he given? What effect does this have on Good Deeds?

Knowledge introduces him to confession, he can confess his sins and now good deeds can rise Confession gives him a scourge --> hits him. This strengthens good deeds

What doubts does Knowledge express about priests? Notice that Everyman is off-stage at this point and does not hear what Knowledge says.

Some priests sin as well. Knowledge expresses these doubts about the priesthood which is a way of the church reminding priests to stay in line too and not sin like everyone else.

What happens to Beauty, Strength, Discretion, and Five-Wits when Everyman comes to the grave? Do they go with him all the way? What do you think this means?

The others cant go with him because all the physical attributes fade away at death.

To whom do all these truer friends take Everyman? What does he receive there?

They take him to the priest so he can go to Confession.

What happens when Everyman turns to his family (Kinship and Cousin)?

They tell him no.

How far does Knowledge go with Everyman?

To the grave but does not go in the grave with Everyman.

The Doctor underlines the moral of this morality play. What does he say?

When you die the only thing that matters is your good deeds.

What does the Messenger tell us in the first speech?

when we come close to death it shows how transitory we have been all of our lives. In the end, strength, beauty, and pleasure will fade away and all you will have left are your sins or your good deeds.