Summer Reading Goals, year 3 - "Everyman"

Since the first day of fall is not until September 23, I am going to allow these last two books to fall within my goals for Summer Reading. I have completed both of the final goals on my list, but will post them as two separate blog posts since both goals are so very different in content.

The fourth goal completed from my list was to read a non-Shakespeare play.

Poster from The National Theatre's 2015 production

The play I chose to read is not only non-Shakespeare, but predates Shakespeare! Everyman is a morality play from the Middle Ages, the kind of play that traveling priests and church-funded theater groups would perform in town squares with the intent of inspiring (or terrifying) people into repenting and securing a future for their eternal souls. The earliest version of this play is dated around 1378, so why did I choose such an ancient and seemingly obscure play to read?

Well, earlier this summer the National Theater in London put on a modernized version of Everyman, starring acclaimed actor Chiwetel Ejiofor as the title character. Many of their productions are streamed live to cinemas around the world, and the description, photos and trailer enthralled me. I was crushed when it turned out it would not be streamed in Austin, but I hunted down a script at Half-Price Books and read the play for myself.

Everyman tells the story of a man (called only "Everyman") who is approached by Death and told that he must journey to the place of judgement and be prepared to "give an account of his life in this world." Everyman begins to desperately search for a friend to accompany him on this fateful journey, but no one will stand for him. Nothing that he has collected in this world matters when he faces his final judgement.

Chiwetel Ejiofor as Everyman

Everyman is an elaborate illustration of the verse in 1 Thessalonians which says "...for the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." As Christians we are taught to prepare our hearts and be ready to meet the Lord at any time, for we do not know when the day of judgement will come. Do we listen and prepare? As Everyman cries out to the shrouded figure before him:

"O Death, thou comest when I had thee least in mind!

... I may say Death giveth no warning!

To think on thee, it maketh my heart sick,

  For all unready is my book of reckoning."

Everyman is abandoned by Fellowship (his friends), Cousin and Kindred (his family), his Goods (wealth and possessions), his Five Wits, and Beauty, Strength and Discretion (earthly/human attributes). As he approaches the place of judgement he comes across his Good Deeds lying weak and wasting in the darkness; he begs them for help, and they want to help him, but they are nothing without his salvation. They moan:

"Everyman, I am sorry of your fall, 

And fain would I help you, if I were able!" 

With their help he is directed to Knowledge, his last hope. Knowledge leads him to repentance and salvation. Everyman repents, offers his soul, and finds, at last, the peace and humility he needs to approach judgement without fear.

If a shrouded form approached and said it was time to lay our lives before the throne of God, would we be ready? Or would we offer Death a bribe, or a long list of good deeds, or a desperate plea for more time? In the modern re-telling that The National Theatre offered to audiences this summer, Everyman is living an extravagant and foolish life, and wakes up alone from oblivion after a night of relentless partying. God approaches him in human form and delivers the message of impending judgement, sending him on the introspective and desperate journey in search of truth and meaning.

I very much enjoyed reading this play and would love to see it performed. It may seem incredible that something so old can still hold such potent truth, but then that thought seems silly in light of the Bible itself and the timeless, perfect truth it still conveys.