Everyman

by

Anonymous

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Everyman Character Analysis

Representing all humankind, Everyman begins the play entrenched in worldly vices, such as lust and greed. However, when God asks Death to visit Everyman and ask him to prepare a reckoning (an account of his good and bad deeds), Everyman panics and begins asking for help where he has typically found it—from his friends, his family, and his wealth. The turning point of Everyman’s character—and of the play overall—is Everyman’s realization that nobody can help him besides Good Deeds and Knowledge. Through them, he learns to purge his sins and reject the material world in favor of the divine.

Everyman Quotes in Everyman

The Everyman quotes below are all either spoken by Everyman or refer to Everyman. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Personification and Morality Theme Icon
).
Everyman Quotes

Drowned in sin, they know me not for their God;
In worldly riches is all their mind,
They fear not my rightwiseness, the sharp rod;
My law that I shewed, when I for them died,
They forget clean, and shedding of my blood red;
I hanged between two, it cannot be denied;
To get them life I suffered to be dead

Related Characters: God (speaker), Everyman
Page Number: 37
Explanation and Analysis:

I set not by gold, silver, nor riches,
Ne by pope, emperor, king, duke, ne princess.
For and I would receive gifts great,
All the world I might get;
But my custom is clean contrary.
I give thee no respite: come hence, and not tarry.

Related Characters: Death (speaker), Everyman
Page Number: 39
Explanation and Analysis:

Now in good faith, I will not that way.
But and thou wilt murder, or any man kill,
In that I will help thee with a good will!

Whether ye have loved me or no,
By Saint John, I will not with thee go.

Related Characters: Fellowship (speaker), Everyman
Page Number: 43
Explanation and Analysis:

That is to thy damnation without lesing,
For my love is contrary to the love everlasting.
But if thou had me loved moderately during,
As, to the poor give part of me,
Then shouldst thou not in this dolour be,
Nor in this great sorrow and care.

Related Characters: Goods (speaker), Everyman
Page Number: 47
Explanation and Analysis:

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.

Related Characters: Good-Deeds (speaker), Everyman
Related Symbols: Reckoning
Page Number: 49
Explanation and Analysis:

I come with Knowledge for my redemption,
Repent with hearty and full contrition;
For I am commanded a pilgrimage to take,
And great accounts before God to take,
Now, I pray you, Shift, mother of salvation,
Help my good deeds for my piteous exclamation.

Related Characters: Everyman (speaker), Knowledge, Confession
Page Number: 50
Explanation and Analysis:

In the name of the Holy Trinity,
My body sore punished shall be:
Take this body for the sin of the flesh;
Also thou delightest to go gay and fresh,
And in the way of damnation thou did me bring;
Therefore suffer now strokes and punishing.
Now of penance I will wade the water clear,
To save me from purgatory, that sharp fire.

Related Characters: Everyman (speaker), God
Page Number: 52
Explanation and Analysis:

God will you to salvation bring,
For priesthood exceedeth all other thing;
To us Holy Scripture they do teach,
And converteth man from sin heaven to reach;
God hath to them more power given,
Than to any angel that is in heaven

Related Characters: Five-Wits (speaker), Everyman, God
Page Number: 55
Explanation and Analysis:

Everyman: Take example, all ye that this do hear or see,
How they that I loved best do forsake me,
Except my Good-Deeds that bideth truly.
Good-Deeds: All earthly things is but vanity:
Beauty, Strength, and Discretion, do man forsake,
Foolish friends and kinsmen, that fair spake,
All fleeth save Good-Deeds, and that am I.

Related Characters: Everyman (speaker), Good-Deeds (speaker), Beauty, Strength, Discretion
Page Number: 58
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Everyman LitChart as a printable PDF.
Everyman PDF

Everyman Quotes in Everyman

The Everyman quotes below are all either spoken by Everyman or refer to Everyman. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Personification and Morality Theme Icon
).
Everyman Quotes

Drowned in sin, they know me not for their God;
In worldly riches is all their mind,
They fear not my rightwiseness, the sharp rod;
My law that I shewed, when I for them died,
They forget clean, and shedding of my blood red;
I hanged between two, it cannot be denied;
To get them life I suffered to be dead

Related Characters: God (speaker), Everyman
Page Number: 37
Explanation and Analysis:

I set not by gold, silver, nor riches,
Ne by pope, emperor, king, duke, ne princess.
For and I would receive gifts great,
All the world I might get;
But my custom is clean contrary.
I give thee no respite: come hence, and not tarry.

Related Characters: Death (speaker), Everyman
Page Number: 39
Explanation and Analysis:

Now in good faith, I will not that way.
But and thou wilt murder, or any man kill,
In that I will help thee with a good will!

Whether ye have loved me or no,
By Saint John, I will not with thee go.

Related Characters: Fellowship (speaker), Everyman
Page Number: 43
Explanation and Analysis:

That is to thy damnation without lesing,
For my love is contrary to the love everlasting.
But if thou had me loved moderately during,
As, to the poor give part of me,
Then shouldst thou not in this dolour be,
Nor in this great sorrow and care.

Related Characters: Goods (speaker), Everyman
Page Number: 47
Explanation and Analysis:

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.

Related Characters: Good-Deeds (speaker), Everyman
Related Symbols: Reckoning
Page Number: 49
Explanation and Analysis:

I come with Knowledge for my redemption,
Repent with hearty and full contrition;
For I am commanded a pilgrimage to take,
And great accounts before God to take,
Now, I pray you, Shift, mother of salvation,
Help my good deeds for my piteous exclamation.

Related Characters: Everyman (speaker), Knowledge, Confession
Page Number: 50
Explanation and Analysis:

In the name of the Holy Trinity,
My body sore punished shall be:
Take this body for the sin of the flesh;
Also thou delightest to go gay and fresh,
And in the way of damnation thou did me bring;
Therefore suffer now strokes and punishing.
Now of penance I will wade the water clear,
To save me from purgatory, that sharp fire.

Related Characters: Everyman (speaker), God
Page Number: 52
Explanation and Analysis:

God will you to salvation bring,
For priesthood exceedeth all other thing;
To us Holy Scripture they do teach,
And converteth man from sin heaven to reach;
God hath to them more power given,
Than to any angel that is in heaven

Related Characters: Five-Wits (speaker), Everyman, God
Page Number: 55
Explanation and Analysis:

Everyman: Take example, all ye that this do hear or see,
How they that I loved best do forsake me,
Except my Good-Deeds that bideth truly.
Good-Deeds: All earthly things is but vanity:
Beauty, Strength, and Discretion, do man forsake,
Foolish friends and kinsmen, that fair spake,
All fleeth save Good-Deeds, and that am I.

Related Characters: Everyman (speaker), Good-Deeds (speaker), Beauty, Strength, Discretion
Page Number: 58
Explanation and Analysis: