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Embodying Everyman: Allegory In Medieval And Contemporary Performance, Cara Geser

English Honors Theses

Many scholars and theater artists accuse the Middle English morality play Everyman of being "tedious," "dry," or just plain "boring" due to its overt literal, religious, and dramatic allegory. However, when allegorical modes are placed in the theatrical sphere, an inherently fictional space curated for the purposes of exploration, allegory can yield discovery through personal interpretation achieved through theatrical meaning-making. This paper provides a deep examination of allegory, specifically in performance and in Everyman, arguing in favor of its relevance through prompting reevaluations and yielding subsequent revelations.