Student Question
What are the themes of accountability, salvation, and companionship in Everyman?
Quick answer:
In "Everyman," accountability is tied to the Christian belief that individuals must answer for their actions in a divine judgment after death. Earthly possessions offer no salvation, emphasizing the insufficiency of material wealth for gaining heaven. However, salvation is attainable through good deeds, which accompany the soul beyond death. Companionship is reflected in the allegorical characters that represent aspects of Everyman's life, highlighting the importance of spiritual over material connections.
The accountability demonstrated in Everyman is the sort generally accepted in traditional world views, but also specific to Christianity; every man (Everyman) is accountable for his actions, and must face a divine inquisition into his ethics once he is dead. The things of this world cannot accompany him. They offer no salvation, and if this is not obtained, his actions are not sufficient to gain heaven alone. However, salvation is possible, in part due to one's good deeds, which travel with one even beyond death.
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