Everyman was turned down by all of the characters except Good Deeds, Knowledge, and Confession to show readers the importance of morals and how Earthly luxuries are not what is important in life.
by Eleni Phillips
1. When Death is summoned upon him by God, he reaches out to all of the wrong things.
1.1. Everyman turns to these Earthly luxuries he admires most in life, only to be let down when they turn their backs on them.
1.1.1. This shows readers that things like Beauty, Strength, and Five-Wits are not things they should be so focused on.
2. Fellowship, Kindred, and Cousin all turned their backs on Everyman when they find out that he is summoned upon Death to go on the journey.
2.1. Fellowship promises Everyman that he will go on this journey earlier in the play, then he states, "Now by God that all hath bought, If Death were the messenger, For no man that is living today I will not go that loath journay-Not for the father that begat me.
2.1.1. Friends often make promises they do not keep. This just proves that they are not crucial to your being.
3. Materialistic things can sometimes seem too good to be true and, in the end, they are.
3.1. In the beginning of the play, Goods states, "My condition is man's soul to kill; If I save one, a thousand I do spill."
3.1.1. Here, Goods turns on Everyman and says that his purpose is to ruin the souls of people and if he goes on this journey with one, he must go with all.
4. Everyman must now rely on himself.
4.1. As Everyman is laid to rest, he says, "Into thy hands, O greatest powers, I commend my spirit forever."
4.1.1. What this means is he is handing his soul over to God and telling him that he is praising him forever.