Everyman

What remains when everything is stripped away? Everyman—the most famous medieval morality play, written anonymously in the late 15th century—confronts the universal human experience of mortality with stark simplicity. The protagonist, Everyman, represents all of humanity. He is wealthy, successful, and unprepared when Death arrives with a summons from God. Realizing he must face final judgment, Everyman desperately seeks companions for his journey—but Fellowship, Kindred, Goods, and even Beauty all abandon him. Only Good Deeds, though weak from neglect, agrees to accompany him. Through penance and the guidance of Knowledge, Everyman strengthens Good Deeds and ultimately finds salvation. This is allegory as spiritual reckoning: what truly matters when we face the end?

The play unfolds as a pilgrimage toward death and judgment, with each character representing an aspect of human life: Fellowship (friendship), Kindred (family), Goods (wealth), Beauty, Strength, Discretion, and Five Wits (the senses). One by one, they reveal their limitations—Fellowship will not go where there is danger, Kindred makes excuses, Goods admits he has distracted Everyman from salvation, and even physical attributes like Beauty and Strength fail at the grave's edge. Only Good Deeds—the actions we take in service of others and God—can accompany us beyond death. The play's power lies in its unflinching honesty: everything we rely on in life—status, relationships, possessions, even our bodies—will be stripped away. What remains is what we have done.

For contemplative readers, Everyman offers profound meditation on mortality, priorities, and what gives life meaning. The play asks: What are we building our lives on? What will remain when everything else falls away? How do we live knowing that death will come and we cannot take anything with us? What does it mean to strengthen Good Deeds while we still have time? Everyman becomes a mirror for examining our own lives—recognizing what we've neglected (Good Deeds lying weak), what we've overvalued (Goods, Beauty, Fellowship), and what truly matters. The play's allegorical structure invites contemplative practice: seeing our lives as a pilgrimage, understanding that we are always preparing for the final reckoning, and choosing to live in ways that strengthen what will endure.

What You'll Discover

• The most famous medieval morality play (late 15th century, anonymous)
• Everyman's summons by Death and his desperate search for companions
• Personified abstractions: Fellowship, Kindred, Goods, Beauty, Strength, Good Deeds, Knowledge
• The abandonment by worldly companions and the faithfulness of Good Deeds
• Penance, confession, and the strengthening of Good Deeds for salvation
• Contemplative insights into mortality, priorities, and what gives life meaning
• A foundational work of medieval English drama and allegorical literature

Everyman emerged from the liturgy and life of the medieval church, part of a tradition of morality plays that used allegory to teach spiritual truths. Its stark simplicity and universal themes have made it one of the most widely studied and performed works of medieval literature. The play speaks across centuries because its central question remains urgent: when everything is stripped away, what will remain?

Perfect for: Readers of medieval literature and morality plays, contemplative readers exploring mortality and meaning, students of allegorical drama and medieval English literature, those interested in spiritual reckoning and what truly matters, anyone drawn to works that examine life's priorities in light of death, readers seeking wisdom on living in preparation for what endures.

Paperback edition. The medieval morality play masterpiece—Everyman's journey to face Death and judgment, offering contemplative wisdom on mortality, priorities, and strengthening what will remain when everything else is stripped away.