Monday, May 13, 2019

What does Everyman desire to take when Death calls?

When the allegorical figure of Death comes to take Everyman on a one-way journey to meet his maker, Everyman is woefully unprepared. He is simply not ready for Death's summons; what's more, he doesn't even understand what it means. He seems to think that he can make the journey again some other time, blissfully unaware of the fact that, once he goes to see God with Death, there will be no coming back.
When Death tells Everyman that he must account for both his good and bad deeds before God, a terrified Everyman suddenly starts to realize the enormity of his situation. In anguish and desperation, he turns to his earthly friends Fellowship, Kindred, Cousin, and Goods and begs them to accompany him on his final journey. Of course, his friends refuse; this is Everyman's death, not theirs, and so they cannot come with him even if they wanted to. At this juncture, Everyman is forced to evaluate the importance he'd previously attached to earthly goods and realize just how little they mean in the overall scheme of things.

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