In the Middle Ages, a deadly plague known as the Black Death spread throughout Europe. As a result, death became a prevalent the
me in the arts. The theme of death and the concept of memento mori involved two distinct ideas: the certainty of death and the uncertainty of its timing. What do the following lines illustrate about the memento mori theme of the play Everyman? What role do beauty, friends, and family play in a person's salvation? And forsake Pride, for he deceiveth you in the end. And remember Beauty, Five-Wits, Strength, and Discretion, They all at the last do Everyman forsake […]
The allegorical figures of Pride, Beauty, Five-Wits (five senses), Strength, and Discretion all abandon Everyman in his hour of need. Basically, they are superficial values that people strive for during their lives. And none of them is worthy before God in the hour of death. None of them is going to alleviate the pain or help Everyman go to Heaven. These lines from the morality play should warn people that they are completely alone in this world, with only their Good Deeds to follow them beyond the grave.
These lines reveal that all worldly possessions, beauty, friends, and family desert Everyman on his last journey. They reflect the idea that the only possessions people take into the afterlife are their good deeds. The message conveyed by Everyman is that people should lead a pious life, keeping in mind that their actions on Earth will directly affect their experience in the afterlife. The play reminds people of the inevitability of death and urges them to live a life free of sin.
