Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully Written Morality Play, September 6, 2005
Please ignore the ignorant reviews casting Everyman off as boring and in need of serious revision. You must understand the history behind the play. It came out of a period when plays were written to reform the audience, and were largely theological. You must notice the allegorical way of thinking derived from the medeival faith which believed everything in the world had a moral meaning. When you look at it from the standpoint of a medeival audience it is a delightful way to learn important messages. However, diadactic plays can sometimes be tedious to a modern audience. Do not let that push you away. Enjoy a piece of history that has a great deal to teach its modern audience.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Regret weighs tons, March 12, 2009
"We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons." ~Jim Rohn
As part of my quest to read more classic plays I picked up Everyman for a quick read (only 39 pages). Everyman is a one act play that was written centuries ago. The earliest English version dates from approximately 1520. It's amazing how relevant the play is nearly 500 years later, although concerns of morality and mortality never really change.
The play/poem starts with Death visiting Everyman. Naturally Everyman does not feel prepared for the day of reckoning and pleads for more time. Death denies the request; however, he allows Everyman a little time to find someone to speak in support of him. Everyman goes to Fellowship, Cousin, and Kindred asking for help and they all promise to help him with anything he needs. When he tells them what he desires they all understandably renege on their promise.
He visits Goods who he has "loved the most", for surely he will go with him. Everyman pleads with Goods to come and says, "Money maketh all right that is wrong." Goods responds, "Nay, Everyman, I sing another song, I follow no man in such voyages. For and I went with thee, thou shouldst fare much the worse for me; for because on me thou did set thy mind, thy reckoning I have made blotted and blind." That's good stuff right there.
Next he visits Good-Deeds who hardly knows him and who is weak due to lack of attention. Everyman says, "Therefore I come to you, my moan to make; I pray you, that you will go with me." Good-Deeds responds, "I would full fain, but I cannot stand verily." Everyman responds, "Why, is there anything on you fall?" Good-Deeds says, "Yea, sir, I may thank you of all; if ye had perfectly cheered me, your book of account now full ready had be. Look, the books of your works and deeds eke; oh, see how they lie under the feet, to your soul's heaviness."
Finally Everyman meets Knowledge and Confession who introduce him to others that can help him such as Discretion, Five-Wits, Beauty, and Strength. In the end, it is only Good-Deeds that can go with him to plead his case.
As you can see from the couple examples I cited, it is actually a fascinating read. It is well worth thirty minutes of your time. You'll thank me later
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Necessary reading for all those who at least call themselves Christians, January 2, 2009
I first read this in an old Norton anthology of English literature over fifteen years ago, and was struck then by how relevant it is nowadays as to when it was composed. A lot of people, especially Christians, need to read this for their own good, because unfortunately too many people in this world tend to confuse religion with Christ, patriotism with religion, and materialiasm with morality. Frankly it should be required reading for all Sunday school classes, especially the adult ones, and its message is as important now as it ws five hundred years ago. The only reason I am giving it four instead of five stars is because the book is so thin it is very easy for it to bend or worse when shipped through the mail. I still highly recommend this book and especially Everyman to everyone.
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