The Somonyng of Everyman (The Summoning of Everyman), usually referred to simply as Everyman, is a late 15th-century or early 16th-century morality play by an anonymous English author, printed circa 1530. It is possibly a translation of the Dutch play Elckerlijc (Everyman), written about 1495.
Like John Bunyan's 1678 Christian novel The Pilgrim's Progress, Everyman uses allegorical characters to examine the question of Christian salvation and explain that Man must have a relationship with God to attain it. To develop that relationship, his strength, wisdom, senses, beauty and discretion are not helpful. The relationship with God is strengthened through his adherence to rules established by the Church – the partaking of the Eucharist, confession, penance, and participation in last rites, thus redeeming him and preparing him for eternal salvation.
Summary
The play is the allegorical accounting of the life of Everyman, who represents all mankind. In the course of the action, God summons Death and directs him to take Everyman, who begs to be allowed to have help from his friends. Everyman tries to convince other characters (Fellowship, Kindred, Cousin, Goods) to accompany him on his pilgrimage to the hereafter, but all object to doing so and callously abandon him. Everyman at first is despondent at being abandoned, despite all the personified characters that were supposed necessities and friends to him, which ultimately do not lead him closer to Christ. His own personal attributes, including Knowledge, Beauty, and Strength, are kinder but also ultimately decline to accompany him, but Everyman learns that when he is brought to death and placed before God, his Good Deeds (which in the play include following Church practices of Eucharist, confession, penance and last rites) draw him into salvation with Christ.