Everyman

Anonymous

43 pages 1-hour read

Anonymous

Everyman

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1485

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

An allegorical stand-in for humanity, Everyman is an average person preoccupied with material prosperity. He is entirely unprepared when he is suddenly summoned to give an account of his life to God. He seeks companions to help him on his journey, learning difficult lessons about the true value of his earthly attachments.

Key Relationships

Subject of God

Summoned by Death

Friend of Fellowship

Devoted to Goods

Neglectful toward Good Deeds

Guided by Knowledge

Supporting Characters

The Christian God observes humanity's descent into sin and their neglect of his sacrifices. Angry that humans focus entirely on material wealth without fear of divine justice, he decides to call Everyman to a reckoning. He demands accountability for the lives humans have lived.

Key Relationships

Judge of Everyman

Master of Death

Master of Angel

A dutiful and mighty messenger of God who holds power over all living things. He cannot be delayed or bribed, and he fulfills his master's commands to bring humans to face their judgment regardless of their readiness.

Key Relationships

Servant of God

Summoner of Everyman

The narrator figure addresses the audience directly to introduce the play's moral subject. He explains that the story will focus on the transitory nature of human life and worldly pursuits.

Key Relationships

Thematic Counterpart to Doctor

Prologue Presenter for Everyman

The personification of friendship and social amusement. He eagerly shares in Everyman's sport and play and readily promises loyalty. His commitment to his friend is quickly tested when he learns the true nature of Everyman's journey.

Key Relationships

Companion to Everyman

Fellow Earthly Tie to Kindred (and Cousin)

The personifications of Everyman's family ties and blood relations. They eagerly promise to live and die with Everyman and offer their unwavering support. They represent the earthly bonds of kinship that humans rely upon in times of distress.

Key Relationships

Relatives of Everyman

Fellow Earthly Tie to Fellowship

The personification of earthly, material prosperity and wealth. Everyman devotes his life to loving and pursuing Goods, but the entity frankly explains that he belongs firmly to the earthly world. He confirms he cannot help with spiritual matters.

Key Relationships

Material Wealth of Everyman

Earthly Opposite of Good Deeds

The personification of Everyman's righteous actions and charity. Due to Everyman's lifelong neglect, she is initially too weak to stand or walk. She harbors a genuine desire to assist him in his time of greatest need once she recovers her strength.

Key Relationships

Neglected Attribute of Everyman

Sister of Knowledge

Eternal Opposite of Goods

The personification of spiritual understanding and the knowledge of how to repent. She serves as a crucial guide for Everyman, leading him to Confession and advising him on the steps necessary to prepare his soul for reckoning.

Key Relationships

Sister of Good Deeds

Spiritual Guide to Everyman

Associate of Confession

Conversational Partner of Five Wits

A personification of the Catholic sacrament of penance, described metaphorically as a cleansing river and glorious fountain. Confession instructs Everyman on how to ask God for mercy and provides him with a scourge to perform penance.

Key Relationships

Spiritual Advisor to Everyman

Associate of Knowledge

A personification of physical attractiveness and human grace. She is one of the personal qualities that promises to assist Everyman as his courage grows. She represents a transient earthly trait that ultimately cannot endure the grave.

Key Relationships

Earthly Attribute of Everyman

Fellow Earthly Attribute to Strength

The personification of physical power and endurance. He stands with Everyman to provide the fortitude needed to face the journey to the grave. Like the others, he is an internal physical property with hard limits.

Key Relationships

Earthly Attribute of Everyman

Followed by Discretion

Fellow Earthly Attribute to Beauty

The personification of good judgment and careful deliberation. He advises Everyman to proceed with careful thought. He provides mental stability as Everyman approaches his final destination.

Key Relationships

Earthly Attribute of Everyman

Follower of Strength

The personification of the five physical senses. He directs Everyman to seek out a priest for the sacraments and fiercely defends the importance of the priesthood in human salvation.

Key Relationships

Earthly Attribute of Everyman

Conversational Partner of Knowledge

A divine messenger representing the joyful bliss of Heaven. The Angel comes to receive Everyman's soul, finalizing his transition from the earthly world to the eternal one.

Key Relationships

Divine Receiver of Everyman

Messenger for God

A learned figure who concludes the play, much like the Messenger opens it. He speaks in formal language to reiterate the play's core moral lesson about the transience of earthly properties and the eternal value of good deeds.

Key Relationships

Thematic Counterpart to Messenger

Moralizer of Everyman