When I read something in my head and do not understand it, I then read it aloud. Which is what I ended up doing for all of Everyman. While cumbersome to do, reading in this manner made me discover how lyrically beautiful Everyman is. I was very shocked that the author---whoever he or she be---was capable of putting serious morbid statements into song. The play rhymes like a song I would listen to. More importantly, I was not just impressed with the play’s musical rhythm but, too, found its content---and the manner in which that content is displayed---interesting and likable. I have no read a play where characters are direct representatives of specific ideas and abstractions. Authors typically engage these forces against each other through characters but never in this direct way. I like that, in Everyman, strength isn’t something a character demonstrates but rather is. I do not know what I like about it, but it’s a nice change. I find the method sophistically artsy for the middle ages. Shockingly, too, there’s a good, followable narrative structure in spite of the piece being a largely ideological statement. To me, the play was enchanting in a weird spooky way. The play has some nuances of horror---the imagery is terribly powerful and portentous. But, even still, I was happy that Everyman, the character, learned and understood in the end. You relate to Everyman because we know nothing about him. The things we owns, his beauty, wit---everyone to a degree has those.
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