Sacrifice In Everyman

709 Words3 Pages

The demonic characters of the play deceived Everyman individually along his journey to death. They utilized dark play in their performance to express the deceit that these demonic characters used against Everyman. The dramaturge’s efforts to portray dark play within Everyman forces the communitas to see themselves in a mirror. All in an effort to force the communitas to look at themselves in a way to see if they are following the traditional ideals of the conservative Christian way of life. The dramaturge selected the demonic characters as a way of presenting to the communitas that demonic characters fill their day-to-day lives. Through the dramatic use of dark play within Everyman the dramaturge can teach the communitas a lesson. The dramaturge …show more content…

However, the dissertation plays to the role of Everyman being reduced to only essential characteristics. David Mills states: The fear that Death instills in Everyman separates the individual from his context, stripping him of social and physical support and identity until he is reduced to his essentials of his soul and his good deeds. The isolation of the individual soul before God translates into images of social rejection and abandonment of the two sets of “friends”. (133) Everyman’s three “friends” lead him on in the beginning of his quest to have them join him on his journey. It is not until they figure out what is at stake for them that they leave Everyman to face his death alone. These attributes are consistent with that of any Christian’s death. As we saw above in the Ars moriendi section, when dying, Christians are left with only the bare essentials at their last moments, just as Everyman was. The dramaturge portrayed these three “friends” as deceiving Everyman. Everyman thought for sure that Cousin, Kindred, and Fellowship would accompany him on his journey but they did …show more content…

Fellowship was going to go on the journey with Everyman. They talked about the journey and that Everyman was deserving of a friend to go. The dramaturge brought dark play to the forefront when Fellowship stated, Nay, and thou would give me a new gown, / I will not a foot with thee go; / But, and thou had tarried, I would not have left, / thee so.” (Everyman 292-94). Fellowship participated in dark play by wanting to get away from Everyman as quickly as he could. Fellowship did not want exposure to death, as Everyman was about to have. Fellowship participated in deceitful actions towards Everyman. The desertion of Everyman by Kindred and Cousin add to the performative structure of dark play by playing into a conflict that their desertion caused. Everyman did not want to continue on his own. This is relatable for audience members as a way of showing; no one can go with them in the end. They may have support with them in the beginning part of their journey but all characteristics of themselves will leave them when death is