by this play's emphasis on good works, the power of the priesthood, and the need to confess one's sins to a priest.

At the same time, Everyman, like many other works of medieval literature, shows a genuine awareness of the various failings and partial corruption of the Catholic church during this period. One of the most interesting episodes in the play is the passage in which the character Five-Wits extols the power of priests and the priesthood, only to be followed immediately by Knowledge, who explains that many contemporary priests are hypocrites and sinners (729-69).

In addition, Everyman is also typical of medieval literatture because it announces quite openly, in its very first lines, that it will be a didactic work -- that is, a work intended to teach. Much medieval literature is similar in being very explicit in its intent to impart moral lessons.

Furthermore, Everyman deals with one of the fundamental themes of medieval literature -- the theme of mutability, or the idea that all things on earth, including humans, are subject to change and decay. Only God and heaven could provide a source of eternal escape from such pervasive, usually negative change. Everyman teaches this lesson quite explicitly.

Moreover, Everyman is also a typical work of medieval literature because of its heavy emphasis on the inevitability of death (the most important kind of earthly mutability). A character named Death actually appears in the play, and death is a major theme of the work. The power of death is a very common focus of texts of the middle ages, and if is definitely a major focus of Everyman.

Everyman also resembles some of the other great works of the middle ages (especially The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer) in combining humor with a serious moral message. This tendency is typical of medieval thought, which often saw human life as ridiculous and laughable when viewed from a cosmic Christian perspective.

Therefore, in all these ways and many others, Everyman is a highly characteristic work of its era.

The late medieval morality play Everyman opens when a "Messenger" speaks directly to the audience and asks them all to give their attention to this "moral play" (2) -- that is, a play designed (as most medieval plays were) to teach moral lessons. The messenger announces that the precise title of the play is The Summoning of Everyman. This title would already have suggested to most audience members what the subject of the drama would be: the summoning of every individual human to death and to appearance before God.

The Messenger then announces that the play "our lives and ending shows" (5). Interestingly, this phrasing suggests that although we live various kinds of lives (plural), our ending (singular) is the same: we all end in death. By using the word "our," the Messenger acknowledges that he is a mere human as well. He doesn't speak down to us (at least not figuratively, although he probably stood raised above the audience). We are therefore more likely to listen to his message.

The play, he continues, will show "How transitory we be all day" (6) -- in other words, how subject we all are to change or "mutability." Mutability was a favorite theme of medieval and Renaissance literature, and so it is not surprising that we should find that theme seem so blatantly emphasized at the beginning of this drama. Once again the Messenger shows, by using the word "we," that he is no better than the people he addresses.

The Messenger next declares that the meaning and subject "matter" of the play are wonderfully precious,

But the intent of it is more gracious
And sweet to bear away. (8-9)

These statements may seem ironic in a play that will end by depicting a man descending into his grave, but they make perfect sense from a Christian point of view (which is the point of view of the author, the play, and almost all members of the audience). The purpose of the play is to help us all prepare for death so that we can actually find it a joyous occasion (as Everyman later will). The author, then, has a literally "gracious" intent: he wants to help show us how to receive God's grace. The final effect of the play, then, should be "sweet" and pleasing.

In line 10, the Messenger actually alludes openly to the beginning of the Bible, but the allusion here also reminds us of our own individual beginnings: we should, the Messenger suggests, live our lives in the constant consciousness of death. We should continually remember that we are going to die and that life is partly a means of preparing for the right kind of death. Awareness of death will give meaning to our lives, and we should cultivate such an awareness even if we are happy or "gay" (12).

The Messenger declares that we all consider sin "in the beginning full sweet" (13), and surely this is true; otherwise we would not sin. However, the apparent sweetness of sin is short-lived, unlike the kind of spiritual sweetness promised in line 9.

Sin may cause eternal pain to the soul even when the body is dead (14-15). If we pay careful attention to the play, we will witness how all earthly pleasures fade (16-18). Now we should prepare for the appearance of God on stage, who will call "Everyman to a general reckoning" (19-20) -- that is, to a complete accounting of the sort that awaits us all.

The opening speech, then, announces many of the crucial themes of the play. The Messenger creates some suspense (will Everyman survive his reckoning?), but there are no doubts about the play's moral purpose.