Everyman – medieval drama
Morality plays – generic features:
· they derived from mystery plays (they’re like dramatized sermons acted out)
· short works, usually performed by semi-professional acting troupes
· didacticism
· they are based on allegory
· they are focused on the problem of salvation
· they present timeless truths
· they’re didactic – they are supposed to teach us sth (in Everyman – how to die well)
· there is double meaning – literary & hidden (deeper)
· there appears psychomachy (Good & Evil fight over human soul)
· personification is used – some abstract ideas are personified (e.g. 7 deadly sins as characters)
· motif of journey/quest (death as a journey)
· didactic framework
Types of moralities:
· the pride of life type – one important moment in sb’s life (Everyman – death)
· the whole of life type – it’s impossible to present the entire life of the character so it usually deals with 3 – 7 most important moments
Didacticism:
· FRAMEWORK – Messenger (Death) introduces the subject and the Doctor explains the meaning of the play (they both mediate between stage & the audience)
· LANGUAGE – use of proverbs (to presents some common/universal truths)
· GNERIC PROTAGONIST – Everyman stands for the whole humanity (he represents each human life – his fate is a fate of all of us); he is not individualized
· DANCE MACABRE – dance of Death – death means the loss of everything we achieved – people are equal after death (there are not rich and poor etc.)
Allegory:
· allegorical characters – they have deeper/hidden meaning e.g. Everyman is not only a main character of the story – he’s generic protagonist, death as a journey\pilgrimage
· allegorical action – death as a journey (it’s this hidden level of allegory)
· allegorical is also psychomachy
Imagery:
· WATER – ‘pure water’ ‘glorious fountain’ - on the one hand it is purifying, it can wash our sins; on the other hand it is destructive (‘people drawn in sin’), it may be a kind of punishment (flood)
· BLOOD – Christ was bleeding and his blood was supposed to get rid off our sins; after confession Everyman scourges himself to purify himself from sins;
Comic elements:
· repetitiveness of the action – it is always the same – Everyman goes to someone and asks him to join him in his journey, firstly the person agrees and then refuses
· dramatic irony – the knowledge of reader is greater than the knowledge of Everyman (we can predict who will go with him)
· hyperbolisation of promises and pettiness of excuses – lofty, exaggerated promises and then stupid, pity excuses (e.g. Cousin agrees to join Everyman ‘’We will live and die together’ and then refuses ‘I have the cramp in my toe’ – it’s striking contrast)
· bargaining with Death – ’O Death, thou comest when I had thee last in mind./In thy power it lieth me to save:/Yet of my good will I give thee, if thou will be kind,/Yea a thousand pound shalt thou have/And defer this matter till another day’
· elements of performance – each role was played by semi-professional actor (MAN!); presentation of some characters was fun – e.g. Good Deeds were weak and Beauty was presented by uncovered man’s legs;
Ylayda