Everyman Summary & Analysis

The messenger opens the play, by calling for the audience’s attention to “The Summoning of Everyman.” He says that the play will demonstrate the “transitory” nature of mortal lives and the ostensibly pleasurable but ultimately pernicious effects of sin. The messenger notes that Fellowship, Jollity, Strength, Pleasure, and Beauty will disappear after death, and that God will summon Everyman for “a general reckoning.” Then the messenger introduces the present action, asking for the audience’s attention once again to hear God speak.

God’s speech begins the action of the play. He laments the fact that people are “unkind” to him and that they “liv[e] without dread in worldly prosperity.” By indulging in sin and material wealth, they forget God and the sacrifice he made for humanity through Christ’s martyrdom. As people are engaging in all seven of the deadly sins and are becoming worse every year, God decides to “have a reckoning of every man’s person,” calling them to account for the sins so that they don’t degenerate further into uncharitable, cannibalistic beasts. To do this, he summons Death.

Death enters, and God orders him to tell Everyman that he must immediately go on a pilgrimage “in [God’s] name” and bring with him a “reckoning”—a ledger that lists all the good and bad deeds Everyman has done, which God will use to decide whether Everyman goes to Heaven or Hell. Death eagerly sets out to fulfill God’s orders, searching the globe for “every man… that liveth beastly / Out of God’s laws.” Everyman, who is preoccupied with lust and greed, does not expect Death’s arrival.

Death approaches Everyman, asking if he has forgotten his maker and informing him that God wants a reckoning from him. Troubled and unprepared for such a task, Everyman asks the identity of his interlocutor, who reveals that he is Death, who spares nobody.

Everyman exclaims that Death came when he had least expected him, and then he tries to bribe Death with money in exchange for his life. However, Death refuses, as material goods mean nothing to him. Everyman then begs Death “for God’s mercy” to give him more time to make his “counting book” (another name for a reckoning) ready, but Death tells Everyman that crying and praying won’t help him now. Death then reminds Everyman that all humans must eventually die because of Adam’s sin. Everyman asks if he will be able to return to life, but Death says it is impossible and that his life was not “given” but merely “lent.” Upset that he must die, Everyman begs again for God’s mercy and asks Death if he can bring company on his journey. Death allows it, as long as he can find willing companions. After again rejecting Everyman’s pleas to be spared, Death sends him on his way.

At a loss for what to do, Everyman seeks his friend Fellowship for comfort, expecting that Fellowship will accompany him on his journey. When Everyman tells Fellowship that he is in danger, Fellowship asks Everyman to confide in him, promising that as Everyman’s friend, he will try to help. Fellowship insists that he will not forsake Everyman even if Everyman is going to Hell and he declares that he is willing to die for his friend.

However, when Everyman reveals that he must soon face God’s judgment and would like company on his journey, Fellowship hesitates, as he knows that the journey will mean his death. He asks Everyman when he would be able to come back, and Everyman responds, “Never again till the day of doom.” Fellowship now adamantly refuses to join Everyman. He says that, while he wouldn’t take the journey of death even “for the father that begat [him],” he is more than willing to help Everyman “eat, and drink, and make good cheer, / Or haunt to women.” When Everyman points out that Fellowship is willing to accompany him only for his own amusement, Fellowship denies this, arguing that he is also ready to help Everyman “murder, or any man kill.” Everyman pleads with Fellowship, reminding them of their friendship, but Fellowship dismisses this, swearing by Saint John that he won’t change his mind.

Fellowship leaves, and Everyman wonders aloud about who could help him. He realizes that friendship cannot help him, quoting the proverb “in prosperity men friends may find, / Which in adversity be full unkind.” He decides to seek instead the help of his kinsmen, Kindred and Cousin, who declare that they will remain loyal to Everyman in “wealth and woe.” Everyman tells them about his situation—that he was commanded by a messenger of God to give an account of his good and evil deeds, and that he is seeking companions for his journey.

After learning of Everyman’s fate, Cousin and Kindred are unwilling to help him. Cousin makes the excuse that his toe is cramped and that he is not to be trusted, as Cousin “will deceive you in your most need.” Because his family has forsaken him, Everyman believes that he will never be happy again. Kindred tells Everyman to “make no moan,” and he offers his “maid” to accompany Everyman. Cousin then gives Everyman another reason for his refusal: he too has a “reckoning” to prepare. Soon after, Kindred and Cousin flee the scene.

Alone again, Everyman laments the loss of Fellowship, Kindred, and Cousin, who have all forsaken him. Wondering to whom he should turn next, Everyman decides that, as he has loved wealth his whole life, he should summon his friend Goods for advice. Goods appears and swears that “[if] ye in the world have trouble or adversity, / That can I help you to remedy shortly.” Everyman tells Goods his troubles, asking him to accompany Everyman and to help “purify” his reckoning, as he believes that “money maketh all right that is wrong.”

Goods, however, “sing[s] another song.” He says that if he accompanied Everyman, Everyman’s situation would be even worse than it already is, and he explains that Everyman’s love for Goods “made [his reckoning] blotted and blind.” Though troubled by Goods’ warning, Everyman still asks Goods to come with him. Goods tells him that he is “too brittle” to go on the journey. When Everyman points out that he has loved Goods his whole life, Goods replies that Everyman’s love for Goods has been leading him toward damnation, “for my love is contrary to the love everlasting.”

Goods further explains that if Everyman had loved Goods only moderately and had “to the poor give[n] part of me,” Everyman would have been better off. Everyman realizes that he has been deceived, as Goods explains that, contrary to Everyman’s belief that he owned Goods, Goods was actually only “lent” to him. Goods reveals that he deceives people to steal their souls. Everyman berates Goods for deceiving him, calling him a “traitor to God,” but Goods says that Everyman was responsible for his own fate. His anger relenting, Everyman recognizes that he should have loved God instead of Goods, but nevertheless he asks Goods once again to join him. Laughing at Everyman, Goods again refuses and leaves.

Once alone, Everyman laments his situation, pondering whom he can ask to accompany him on his pilgrimage. His friends Fellowship, Kindred, Cousin, and Goods “gave [him] words fair,” promising to stand by him, but they all deserted him when he asked for help. Goods’ treachery was especially painful to Everyman, who becomes so ashamed that he says, “Thus may I well myself hate.” Everyman decides to seek out Good-Deeds, though she is “so weak / That she can neither go nor speak.”

Everyman calls out for Good-Deeds, who “lie[s] cold in the ground,” weakened by Everyman’s sins. Everyman begins to ask her for help, but Good-Deeds already knows that Everyman has been summoned before God to account for his actions. Everyman asks Good-Deeds to accompany him, and she says that she would, but that she cannot stand up. When Everyman asks what happened to her, Good-Deeds tells him that she is too weak because he neglected her and that if he had “perfectly cheered” her, his “book of account” would have been ready. When Everyman asks Good-Deeds to help him “make reckoning,” she tells him again that she is not able to do so, but that she has a sister, Knowledge, who can help him “make that dreadful reckoning.”

Good-Deeds’s sister Knowledge appears, offering herself as Everyman’s guide. Happy that something good has finally happened, Everyman thanks “God my Creator.” Good-Deeds tells Everyman that once he “heal[s] thee of thy smart” and returns to Good-Deeds with his reckoning, they will go to “the blessed Trinity” to be judged together. Everyman thanks Good-Deeds and leaves with Knowledge, who tells him that they must visit Confession, “that cleansing river.”

Everyman asks where “that holy man, Confession” lives, and Knowledge replies, “In the house of salvation.” Knowledge instructs Everyman to kneel before Confession and to ask him for mercy, as Confession “is in good conceit with God almighty.” Everyman does so, asking Confession to wash away his sins and explaining that he has been summoned by God to present his reckoning.

Confession, who already knows of Everyman’s predicament, agrees to help because he came with Knowledge. He gives Everyman “a precious jewel… / Called penance, wise voider of adversity.” According to Confession, penance, combined with abstinence and service to God, will purify Everyman. Confession then tells Everyman that Everyman will “receive that scourge of me.” Confession warns that it will be painful, but that Everyman must persevere and remember that the Savior suffered such pain for him. Confession tells Knowledge to stay with Everyman as he continues his pilgrimage and assures Everyman that he will be saved by God’s mercy.

Everyman thanks God and sets out to begin his penance with Knowledge by his side. He prays to God for forgiveness, reminding the audience of Adam’s sin and of God’s mercy through Christ. In his prayers, he addresses God with numerous epithets such as “way of rightwiseness” and “mirror of joy.” He also prays to Mary, asking her to pray to God on his behalf. He then tells Knowledge to “give [him] the scourge of penance” so that he will be released from the bondage of his own sin. Knowledge assures him that he is on the right path to making his reckoning, and Everyman proceeds to punish his body “in the name of the Holy Trinity.” He explains that, since his pursuit of bodily pleasures led him to damnation, his suffering of “strokes and punishing” will save him.

Suddenly Good-Deeds appears and announces that she has been healed and is now able to accompany Everyman on his pilgrimage. When Knowledge tells Everyman to be happy, as Good-Deeds is “whole and sound” and able to join them, Everyman responds that his “heart is light, and shall be evermore.” Good-Deeds tells him that he will receive “eternal glory” and that she will always stand by him. Everyman welcomes her, weeping at the love in her voice.

Knowledge again tells Everyman to be happy, as he will go to heaven. She gives him a “garment of sorrow” to wear before God and tells him that such contrition “pleaseth God passing well.” As Everyman now has “true contrition,” and as Good-Deeds has his reckoning in hand, Everyman is ready to continue his journey with his two companions. However, Good-Deeds says that in order to move forward, he must be joined by Discretion, Strength, and Beauty. Knowledge adds that he must also seek the advice of his Five-wits.

Beauty appears with Discretion, Strength, and Five-wits, ready to assist Everyman. At Good-Deeds’ request, they all agree to join Everyman on his pilgrimage, causing Everyman to thank God. Strength vows to fight for him in battle, while Five-wits, Beauty, and Strength assure him of their loyalty, regardless of what happens next. Everyman prays that God will send them to heaven, and tells them that after he dies, most of his money is to go to charity. Knowledge then instructs Everyman to go to a priest for the holy sacrament and unction, while the rest of the group waits for him to come back.

At this point, Five-wits makes a speech about priests, telling Everyman that priests have greater authority than any political ruler because they are commissioned by God. According to Five-wits, priests’ knowledge of the sacraments allows them exclusive access to “the key and…the cure / For man’s redemption.” He then lists out the seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, marriage, unction, and penance. Five-wits declares that priesthood “exceedeth all other thing” because priests teach laymen scripture and purge them of sin, allowing them to go to heaven. He claims that priests are more powerful than angels, because they have the power to transform bread and wine into the very flesh and blood of God. He praises priests as the only “remedy” that “cureth sin deadly,” declaring that they are “above angels in degree.” Everyman then leaves.

Knowledge continues the discussion on priesthood but qualifies Five-wits’ statements, saying that this is true only if the priests are good. He points out that Jesus gave humanity “the same sacrament” as given by good priests, but did so “in great torment,” by sacrificing his own life. He also points to the fact that there are “sinful priests” who lead lives of lechery and are poor examples to sinners. Five-wits counters, saying that he has faith that they won’t encounter any of these sinful priests and that they should choose to honor priesthood. He cuts short the discussion when he sees Everyman, who “hath made true satisfaction,” approaching.

Everyman returns, saying that he has received the Eucharist and unction. He takes out a cross, asking his six companions to place their hand on it and to follow him. Strength, Discretion, and Knowledge promise to never leave him. As they continue on their journey, Everyman feels faint and cannot stand. He tells his companions, “Let us not turn again to this land, / Not for all the world’s gold,” and he says he must climb into the earth—that is, a grave—to rest.

Beauty, shocked that Everyman is expecting her to die, decides to leave, refusing to look back, not even for “all the gold in [Everyman’s] chest.” Everyman asks aloud whom he can trust, lamenting that Beauty promised with to live and die with him. Strength, too, decides to leave, regretting her decision to accompany Everyman in the first place. When Everyman points out that Strength promised to stay with him, Strength says she doesn’t care and leaves. Everyman notes how he thought Strength to be “surer,” but now he realizes that one should not put trust in one’s strength. Discretion also leaves, despite Everyman’s pleas, as she must always follow Strength. Everyman laments that his friends deserted him as soon as he was close to death and he says that “all thing faileth, save God alone.” At this point, Five-wits says farewell, leaving Everyman in tears, as Five-wits was his best friend.

Everyman cries out to Jesus, saying that everyone has forsaken him, but Good-Deeds corrects him, promising to stay with him. Everyman thanks her and realizes that Beauty, Strength, Discretion, and Five-wits were not true friends to him, as Good-Deeds is. He asks Knowledge if she too will forsake him, and she replies that she will stay with him a while longer, but only until the moment he dies. Everyman thanks her and realizes that he is approaching death and that he must soon make his reckoning. He speaks directly to the audience, asking them to view him as an example of “How they that I loved best do forsake me, / Except my Good-Deeds that bideth truly.” Good-Deeds chimes in, saying that “All earthly things is but vanity” and pointing out how everyone—Beauty, Strength, Discretion, and Everyman’s “friends and kinsmen”—except for Good-Deeds abandoned Everyman. Dying, Everyman cries out to God for mercy, putting the fate of his soul in God’s hands.

As the souls of Everyman and Good-Deeds leave their bodies, Knowledge remains on earth. She remarks that Everyman “suffered that we all shall endure” and that her sister Good-Deeds will ensure his salvation. Knowledge thinks she hears the singing of angels. Soon, an angel appears on stage, welcoming Everyman’s soul into heaven because of his “singular virtue” and “crystal-clear” reckoning. The angel declares that Everyman will live happily in heaven until judgment day.

A doctor appears, addressing the audience directly with an epilogue. He instructs us to “forsake pride” and reminds us that Beauty, Five-wits, Strength, and Discretion all abandon Everyman, and that when we are judged by God, we are alone, save for Good-Deeds. He warns us that we must make “amends” before death, in order to gain God’s mercy and to clear our reckoning. If not, the doctor tells us, we will suffer in hell, but if our reckoning is “whole and sound,” we will be “crowned” in heaven until the resurrection, when our bodies and souls will be reunited.