Introduction
Unlike the fables that tell us that a hero is someone who possesses heroic qualities or characteristics, everyman heroes are ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances. These are people who have strong moral compass and act with extreme selflessness. They can be found in many different kinds of media but are most commonly seen in movies, television and books.
The Genre of Morality Plays
In the fifteenth century, England had a religiously focused culture that was often in conflict with the secular world. This led to a genre of drama that is known as morality plays. These plays emphasized the importance of morality, and they often depicted the consequences of human behavior in conflict with that of the gods.
This genre is a subset of drama that deals with moral questions, such as the role of God in human affairs and the eschatological predicament faced by Christians. It is also called allegorical drama, because it presents human virtues and vices in conflict.
The Play Everyman
The best surviving example of the morality play is the 15th-century English work Everyman by John Fletcher. The play focuses on the spiritual destinies of one character, and it demonstrates the value of the Christian church as a source of moral guidance for those living in the medieval period.
Everyman reflects on his life and his final years, especially the events of 9-11. He lives in a retirement community and struggles with the decline of his body and mind as he nears death.
He has been a successful businessman and a good husband and father, but now it is time to leave. He has a family that needs him, and he wants to leave on a good note.
During this process, he encounters a number of different characters who have been guiding him along the way. Those characters include Beauty, Strength, Discretion and the Five Wits.
After the first three of these companions have abandoned him, Everyman meets Good Deeds and Knowledge. These characters guide Everyman to Confession, where he is taught that knowing his sins and repenting of them are the means to find salvation.
Once the plight of Everyman is explained, he decides to make his journey to heaven with the help of Good Deeds and Knowledge. These two characters are very important to Everyman, as they show him that his morals matter, even in the face of adversity.
These characters also demonstrate that the most valuable morals are the ones that are instilled in a person by his or her parents, friends and other influences. These are the values of stewardship, altruism, respect, fairness, accountability and responsibility.
They also tend to be good listeners and hard workers who are driven by a desire to make others feel good.
They can also be very witty, sarcastic and obnoxious at times. They are a great type of character for comedy or satire, but they can also be used in more serious works of literature. This is especially true of writers who use Everyman as a way to illustrate the plight of their own characters and the consequences of their actions.
