Monday 5 August 2013

Why is Everyman surprised by Death? What was his mind on?

When Death reveals his identity to Everyman, Everyman expresses his surprise, saying (in line 119),


O Deth, thou comest whan I had the leest in mynde!


Why is Everyman taken aback? Both Death and Everyman offer evidence that his mind was on material goods and sensual gratification. Death, presumably, has the power to see inside Everyman's mind. Before he approaches Everyman, he tells the audience what the mortal is thinking about (lines 80-82):


Loo, yonder...

When Death reveals his identity to Everyman, Everyman expresses his surprise, saying (in line 119),



O Deth, thou comest whan I had the leest in mynde!



Why is Everyman taken aback? Both Death and Everyman offer evidence that his mind was on material goods and sensual gratification. Death, presumably, has the power to see inside Everyman's mind. Before he approaches Everyman, he tells the audience what the mortal is thinking about (lines 80-82):



Loo, yonder I se Eueryman walkynge.


Full lytell he thynketh on my comynge;


His mynde is on flesshely lustes and his treasure.



("Lo, yonder I see Everyman walking, full little he thinks on my coming; his mind is on fleshy lusts and his treasure.")


Later, after Everyman goes looking for companions to take with him to face judgment, we get more confirmation that his habitual orientation was to think about these base things. He thinks first of Fellowship, noting that they've spent many days of "sport and play" together:



We haue in the worlde so many a daye


Be good frendes in sporte and playe.



We're given a better idea of what this "sport and play" consisted of when Fellowship says he'd be happy to accompany Everyman if they were going to party:



And yet, yf thou wylte ete & drynke & make good chere,


Or haunt to women the lusty company,


I wolde not forsake you whyle the daye is clere.



("And yet, if you will eat and drink and make good cheer, or haunt to women the lusty company, I wouldn't forsake you.")


When Everyman meets Goods, he says,



Alas, I haue the loued, and had grete pleasure


All my lyfe-dayes on good and treasure.



("Alas, I have thee loved, and had great pleasure/ All my life-days on goods and treasure.")


It seems that Everyman was too distracted by thoughts of "fleshy lusts" and wealth to consider his own mortality. He was taken by surprise because he had allowed those pleasures to drive out any awareness that life is a test, and that Death could take him at any time.

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