Everyman Morality Play Recited in Middle English

Описание: This is my Middle English recitation of the beginning conversation between God and Death (Dethe) or the Devil / Satan taken from the late 15th century play Everyman. Author Unknown

The Somonyng of Everyman (The Summoning of Everyman), usually referred to simply as Everyman, is a late 15th-century English morality play. Everyman examines the question of Christian salvation by use of allegorical characters, and what Man must do to attain it. The premise is that the good and evil deeds of one's life will be tallied by God after death, as in a ledger book. The play is the allegorical accounting of the life of Everyman, who represents all mankind. In the course of the action, Everyman tries to convince other characters to accompany him in the hope of improving his account. All the characters are also allegorical, each personifying an abstract idea such as Fellowship, (material) Goods, and Knowledge. The conflict between good and evil is dramatized by the interactions between characters.

Note of Interest: Because of the cost of paper and the lack of a printing press, most of the public during the ages of Middle English were illiterate. Thus, most Middle English documents, manuscripts, and texts that survive have a spiritual content. Morality and Passion Plays were plays that were performed by bands of traveling actors who would go from town to town to preach the gospel to people who could not travel to churches.