Research Paper on:
Allegory and the English Morality Play Everyman

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
written and performed in the late 16th century.) "Everyman" serves as a parable about death and the ultimate destiny of a human beings soul. "Everyman" reflects both its place  in history and the mindset by which medieval sensibilities were governed. In a different understanding of the play, even though its overall meaning remains the same, "Everyman" is truly a  message that was designed to convey the fact that none of the material goods any human being (or "every man") acquires can be taken on the final journey of death.  Only the good a person has accomplished counts toward the ultimate redemption of the soul and pays the admittance fee to heaven. While such a synopsis lessens the  larger convictions and deep symbolism inherent in "Everyman," it still presents a telling overview of the religious experiences and spiritual awareness of "every man" in the late 14th century. Because  that time was also one in which religious understanding and personal enlightenment were undeniably interwoven, carious issues of one became directly connected to the other. Allegory and "Everyman" "Everyman" presents  an allegory that ultimately characterizes charity as the highest of all virtues. Many virtues are presented. However, charity is the most comprehensive of them all. The allegory of "Everyman", which  may also be defined as a parable or a metaphor, is based on what it is that "Everyman" should and can do in the circumstances with which he (she) is  confronted on a daily basis. How and when is it necessary to take action and what possible consequences of that action are the initiator of the action willing to take?  It is important to understand that allegory, in literature, is best defined as a symbolic story that serves as a disguised representation for meanings other than those indicated on the