Everyman and Good Deeds text store t4 Anonymous The following passage is taken from about mid-play (lines 463-498; 509-526 in the play), when Everyman has already been deserted by his friends and relatives. Here he invokes the aid of Good Deeds and speaks to her. Pre-reading 1 What does Everyman represent? a rich and powerful people b the universal representative of all mankind c poor and suffering people 2 Read the names of the other characters and say if they are: a allegorical exemplifications of abstract qualities b real human characters c deities everyman 5 10 15 20 25 30 1 O, to whom shall I make my moan For to go with me in that heavy journay? First Fellowship said he would with me gone; His words were very pleasant and gay, But afterward he left me alone. Then spake I to my kinsmen, all in despair,1 And also they gave me words fair, They lacked no fair speaking, But all forsook me in the ending. Then went I to my Goods, that I loved best; In hope to have comfort, but there had I least; For my Goods sharply did me tell That he bringeth many into hell. Then of myself I was ashamed, And so I am worthy to be blamed; Thus may I well myself hate. Of whom shall I now counsel take? I think that I shall never speed Till that I go to my Good Deed. But, alas, she is so weak That she can neither go nor speak. Yet will I venture on her now. My Good Deeds, where be you? [good deeds speaks from the ground] good deeds Here I lie, cold in the ground. Thy sins hath me sore bound, That I cannot stere. everyman O Good Deeds! I stand in fear; I must you pray of counsel,2 For help now should come right well. good deeds Everyman, I have understanding That ye be summoned account to make Before Messias, of Jerusalem King; 3 everyman O, a chi rivolgerò il mio lamento perché mi segua in quel triste viaggio? Da principio, Amicizia aveva detto che sarebbe venuta con me; le sue parole erano belle e gradevoli, ma in seguito mi ha lasciato solo. Poi, al colmo della disperazione, parlai ai miei parenti, e anch’essi mi risposero con belle parole; non mancarono loro i bei discorsi, ma alla fine mi abbandonarono tutti. Allora andai da Beni Materiali, che amavo sopra ogni cosa, sperando di ricevere conforto, ma fu da lui che ne ebbi meno che dal resto: perché Beni Materiali mi disse bruscamente che è proprio lui a portare molti all’inferno. Allora mi sono vergognato di me stesso: sono in effetti degno di essere biasimato e avrei ragione di odiare me stesso. A chi potrei ora chiedere consiglio? Non penso potrò mai star bene finché non andrò da Buone Azioni. Ma, ahimè, è tanto debole da non riuscire a camminare né a parlare. Ciononostante proverò ora con lei. Mia Buone Azioni, dove sei? [Good Deeds parla da terra] good deeds Sono qui sdraiata, sulla fredda terra. I tuoi peccati mi hanno legato tanto dolorosamente che non riesco a muovermi. everyman O Buone Azioni! Ho paura. Devo pregarti di darmi un consiglio, perché un aiuto ora sarebbe il benvenuto. good deeds Everyman, ho capito che tu sei stato chiamato a rendere conto di fronte al Messia, al Re di Gerusalemme; Copyright © 2012 Mondadori Education S.p.A. - A. Cattaneo, D. De Flaviis, Millennium LiterMaps_1.indd 1 15/12/11 10.47 35 40 45 50 And you do by me,4 that journey with you will I take. everyman Therefore I come to you my moan to make; I pray you that ye will go with me. good deeds I would full fain, but I cannot stand, verily […]. everyman Good Deeds, I pray you, help me in this need, Or else I am for ever d amned indeed; Therefore help me to make reckoning Before the Redeemer of all thing, That King is, and was, and ever shall. good deeds Everyman, I am sorry of your fall, And fain would I help you, and I were able. everyman Good Deeds, your counsel I pray you to give me. good deeds That shall I do verily; Though that on my feet I may not go, I have a sister that shall with you also, Called Knowledge,5 which shall with you abide, To help you to make that dreadful reckoning. [Enter knowledge] knowledge Everyman, I will go with thee, and be thy guide In thy most need6 to go by thy side. everyman In good condition I am now in every thing, And wholly content with this good thing; Thanked be God my Creator. 1. despair: the worst of sins: lack of trust in God’s infinite mercy. 2. you... counsel: ask your advice. 3. Messias... King: Christ. 4. And... me: if you do as I say. e se tu farai quello che ti dirò, verrò con te. everyman È per questo che sono venuto a lamentarmi da te, per pregarti di venire con me. […] good deeds Ne sarei felice, ma proprio non mi reggo in piedi […]. everyman Buone Azioni, ti prego, aiutami nel mio bisogno, o veramente io sarò dannato per sempre. Aiutami perciò a presentare il mio rendiconto di fronte al Redentore di ogni cosa, colui che è, era, e sempre sarà Re. good deeds Everyman, mi spiace della tua caduta nel peccato, e volentieri ti aiuterei, se lo potessi. everyman Buone Azioni, ti prego di darmi un consiglio. good deeds Lo farò, in tutta onestà. Anche se con le mie gambe non posso camminare, ho una sorella che verrà con te, di nome Conoscenza, che starà al tuo fianco per aiutarti a fare quel tremendo rendiconto. [Entra knowledge] knowledge Everyman, verrò con te e ti farò da guida, nel momento del tuo maggior bisogno io sarò al tuo fianco. everyman Ora sono in buone condizioni riguardo a ogni cosa, e del tutto contento di questa buona cosa: sia lodato Dio mio Creatore. 5. Knowledge: acknowledgement of sin is the first step towards salvation, recognizing that God is merciful. 6. In thy most need: when you most need me. Focus on the text There is a strong sense of inevitability in Everyman, as the main character (who represents every man) gradually loses all he has and is finally faced by death. He is first deserted by his false friends: casual companions, Fellowship i.e. friends, and Goods i.e. wealth. He then relies on his innate qualities – Strength, Beauty, Intelligence, Knowledge – which assist him for a while. But in the end, when he must die, all these abandon him except for Good Deeds, the good he has done in his life. In the passage we see the dramatic confrontation of Everyman and Good Deeds: Good Deeds feels she is too weak to help Everyman, but she will do all she can and will call her sister, Knowledge, to help him. If the situation is clearly symbolic, there is real dramatic tension in the scene. Everyman’s final lesson has universal value: man cannot take anything with him when he leaves this world except the good things he has done. Mankind should do good in life and prepare for death, which is every man’s destiny; riches and power are all illusions since mankind cannot bring them along when it faces God’s judgement. Above all, the passage is characterized by the acute sense of painful experience, of human suffering and trials that are the lot of mankind. Guided analysis 3 Read lines 1-16. a. What do we get from them? a Everyman is thanking his friends and relatives for not deserting him. b He has been deserted by all his friends and relatives. c He is about to ask his friends and relatives not to desert him. b. Why is Everyman pleading with his friends? 2 c. How do his friends react to his pleading? 3 Copyright © 2012 Mondadori Education S.p.A. - A. Cattaneo, D. De Flaviis, Millennium LiterMaps_1.indd 2 15/12/11 10.47 4 Read lines 17-36. Why is Good Deeds lying on the ground? 5 Read to the end. a. Is Good Deeds willing to help Everyman and save him from damnation? b. What does Knowledge represent exactly? c. Where will Knowledge take Everyman? d. How does Everyman react? 6 Underline and group the names in the passage under these headings: • personification of allegorical qualities • sacred names 7 Focus on the narrative mode. a. Which is used in lines 1-23? a dialogue b soliloquy b. And in lines 24-54? a narration b dialogue c. In what way do the questions in lines 1-2 and 17 differ from the one in line 23? 8 What was the aim of the Morality Play? a to amuse the audience b to teach a moral lesson c to keep the memory of religious ceremonies 3 Copyright © 2012 Mondadori Education S.p.A. - A. Cattaneo, D. De Flaviis, Millennium LiterMaps_1.indd 3 15/12/11 10.47
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