Introduction
Everyman is a morality play written by an anonymous author and printed in the 15th century. The play depicts an Everyman – an ordinary man representing humankind – who is searching for companions to accompany him on his journey to face God’s judgment. This paper aims to discuss the intention of the author of the play, the intention of the directors who staged the play, and whether the production of this play is relevant in 2022.
The Author’s Intention
The play revolves around Everyman’s attempts to find companions who would follow him in his death. Since the play is highly allegorical, these companions are personified characters, such as Goods, Strength, Knowledge, Five Wits, and Good Deeds, each of which represents a corresponding abstract concept. The author’s intention is to answer the question of what is the best way for people to spend their time on earth (Cantu). The playwright fulfills his intention by using allegorical characters and giving the audience the correct answer at the end of the play.
Throughout the plot, Everyman is rejected by every companion he approaches: Fellowship, Kindred, material Goods, Beauty, Strength, Five Wits, and Discretion. Only Good Deeds is willing to accompany Everyman until the end but is able to do so after Everyman does to Confession, guided by Knowledge, who is Good Deeds’ sister. By showing Everyman’s struggles to prepare for an encounter with Death, the author conveys the idea that people should spend their lives doing good deeds as they are the only thing that will be left with them at the moment of death.
The Intentions of the Directors
The play Everyman was staged by several directors, each of which had a different vision of the play. Cantu reports that, although the play was printed in the 15th century, its performances began only in the 1900s. In 1901, the play was staged by William Poel, who directed and designed the performance and acted in it (Błasiak 55). Poel’s intention was to follow the original text precisely, without any alterations, and, thus, show the beginning of drama (Błasiak 55). In 1911, another production of the play was directed by Max Reinhardt and staged in the Berlin Zirkus Schumann. Unlike Poel, Reinhardt did not intend to follow the original text without changes. On the contrary, Reinhardt adapted the play by removing much of the religious dogma and emphasizing the festive aspect of drama (Błasiak 73). For the purpose of festivity, he added the feast scene, which was regarded as “Reinhardt’s chief triumph” (Błasiak 75). Thus, directors’ intentions may significantly differ from the author’s idea, shifting the focus of the audience’s attention.
The Relevance of the Production in 2022
Although published in the 15th century, the play is still relevant today. The production directed by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and staged in 2018 proves this point. The director made several changes to the play, such as slightly changing the names of the characters and substituting Good Deeds for Love (Tavares 412). However, the general plot has been retained, and the intention is to show that, although individual paths are different, the solution to the labyrinth of life is the same for everyone (Tavares 413). Hence, the production of the play is still relevant in 2022 because it depicts common human experiences: a lust for life, a necessity to make life choices, and the inevitability of death. Although the play may need some adaptations to reflect societal changes, it will remain relevant because it deals with universal human experiences.
Conclusion
Everyman is a morality play teaching an important lesson to the audience. The author intended to show that people should devote their lives to doing good deeds. Various directors staging this play emphasized different aspects of the work, but the core of the story remained the same: individuals would inevitably face death, and their actions and experiences would be the only things that would stay with them at that moment. Since the play tackles universal human experiences, it is still suitable in 2022 and will not lose its relevance as long as all humans are mortal.
Works Cited
Błasiak, Ewa. The Return of the Morality Play in Anglophone Drama of the First Half of the Twentieth Century. 2020. The University of Wrocław, Ph.D. dissertation.
Cantu, Karina. “Everyman.” An Open Companion to Early British Literature: An Anthology and Guide, edited by Allegra Villarreal, Pressbooks, 2019. Pressbooks, Web.
Tavares, Elizabeth E. “Everybody by Artists Repertory Theatre (Review).” Shakespeare Bulletin, vol. 37, no. 3, 2019, pp. 409-413.