This assignment has you make cuts and appropriate interpretative marks in lines 22-203 of the play Everyman.
Here is your goal for this assignment:
Abridge a passage for oral reading
Read and follow carefully the instructions below.
Read the passage carefully. Then, make appropriate cuts (delete lines) until the passage can be read aloud interpretively in two minutes, using proper pace, pauses, and expression.
Mark the passages and words with the correct symbols based on the way that you wish to interpret the passage.
I indicates a hesitation or a chance to breathe.
II indicates a longer pause, a shift in idea, or the insertion of a new word.
Underlining or shading a word signifies emphasis. (If using a program that does not allow for underlined text, capitalize words that would normally be underlined.)
Your teacher will evaluate your work based on the following:
Is the purpose of the cutting clear?
Is the action easy to follow or confusing?
Is the number of characters sufficient or are there too many to follow?
Does the cutting start in an interesting, straightforward place?
Does the cutting end in a logical, satisfying place?
Everyman, lines 22-203
GOD. I perceive, here in my majesty,
How that all creatures be to me unkind,
Living without dread in worldly prosperity.
Of ghostly ° sight the people be so blind, 25 °spiritual
Drowned in sin, they know me not for their God.
In worldly riches is all their mind,
They fear not my rightwiseness, the sharp rod;
My love that I showed when I for them died
They forget clean, and shedding of my blood red; 30
I hanged between two, it cannot be denied;
To get them life I suffered to be dead;
I healed their feet, with thorns hurt was my head.
I could do no more than I did, truly;
And now I see the people do clean forsake me. 35
They use the seven deadly sins damnable,
As pride, covetise, ° wrath, and lechery, °covetousness
Now in the world be made commendable;
And thus they leave of angels the heavenly company.
Every man liveth so after his own pleasure, 40
And yet of their life they be nothing sure.
I see the more that I them forbear
The worse they be from year to year;
All that liveth appaireth ° fast. °becomes worse
Therefore I will, in all the haste, 45
Have a reckoning of every man’s person;
For, and ° I leave the people thus alone °if; so used frequently throughout the play
In their life and wicked tempests,
Verily they will become much worse than beasts;
For now one would be envy another up eat; 50
Charity they all do clean forget.
I hoped well that every man
In my glory should make his mansion,
And thereto I had them all elect, ° °numbered among the redeemed
But now I see, like traitors deject, ° 55 °abject
They thank me not for pleasure that I do them meant,
Nor yet for their being that I them have lent.
I proffered the people great multitude of mercy,
And few there be that asketh it heartily;
They be so cumbered with worldly riches, 60
That needs on them I must do justice,
On every man living without fear.
Where art thou, Death, thou mighty messenger?
DEATH. Almighty God, I am here at your will,
Your commandment to fulfill. 65
GOD. Go thou to Everyman,
And show him, in my name,
A pilgrimage he must on him take,
Which he in no wise may escape;
And that he bring with him a sure reckoning 70
Without delay or any tarrying. (Exit GOD.)
DEATH. Lord, I will in the world go run over all
And cruelly out search both great and small.
Every man will I beset that liveth beastly
Out of God’s laws, and dreadeth not folly. 75
He that loveth riches I will strike with my dart,
His sight to blind, and from heaven to depart,
Except that alms be his good friend,
In hell for to dwell, world without end.
Lo, yonder I see Everyman walking; 80
Full little he thinketh on my coming.
His mind is on fleshly lusts and his treasure,
And great pain it shall cause him to endure
Before the Lord, Heaven King.
Everyman, stand still! Whither art thou going 85
Thus gaily? Hast thou thy Maker forgot?
EVERYMAN. Why askest thou?
Wouldst thou wete? ° °know
DEATH, Yea, sir, I will show you:
In great haste I am sent to thee 90
From God out of his Majesty.
EVERYMAN. What, sent to me?
DEATH. Yea, certainly.
Though thou have forgot him here,
He thinketh on thee in the heavenly sphere, 95
As, ere we depart, thou shalt know.
EVERYMAN. What desireth God of me?
DEATH. That shall I show thee:
A reckoning he will needs have
Without any longer respite. 100
EVERYMAN. To give a reckoning, longer leisure I crave.
This blind matter troubleth my wit.
DEATH. On thee thou must take a long journey;
Therefore thy book of count ° with thee thou bring; °accounts
For turn again thou can not by no way. 105
And look thou be sure of thy reckoning,
For before God thou shalt answer and show
Thy many bad deeds, and good but a few,
How thou hast spent thy life, and in what wise,
Before the Chief Lord of paradise. 110
Have ado that we were in that way, ° °get so busy we
For, wete thou well, thou shalt make none attourney ° may be on the way
EVERYMAN. Full unready I am such reckoning to give. °you shall
I know thee not. What messenger art thou? have no attorney to plead for you
DEATH. I am Death, that no man dreadeth. 115 °fears no man
For every man I ‘rest, ° and no man spareth; °arrest
For it is God’s commandment
That all to me should be obedient.
EVERYMAN. O Death! thou comest when I had thee
least in mind!
In thy power it lieth me to save. 120
Yet of my goods will I give thee, if thou will be kind;
Yea, a thousand pound shalt thou have,
If thou defer this matter till another day.
DEATH. Everyman, it may not be, by no way!
I set not by, ° gold, silver, nor riches, 125 °care nothing for
Nor by pope, emperor, king, duke, nor princes.
For, and I would receive gifts great,
All the world I might get;
But my custom is clean contrary.
I give thee no respite. Come hence, and not tarry. 130
EVERYMAN. Alas! shall I have no longer respite?
I may say Death giveth no warning.
To think on thee, it maketh my heart sick,
For all unready is my book of reckoning.
But twelve year and I might have abiding, 135
My counting-book I would make so clear,
That my reckoning I should not need to fear.
Wherefore, Death, I pray thee, for God’s mercy,
Spare me till I be provided of remedy.
DEATH. Thee availeth not to cry, weep, and pray; 140
But haste thee lightly that thou were gone that journey,
And prove thy friends if thou can.
For wete thou well the tide abideth no man;
And in the world each living creature
For Adam’s sin must die of nature. 145
EVERYMAN. Death, if I should this pilgrimage take,
And my reckoning surely make,
Show me, for saint charity,
Should I not come again shortly?
DEATH. No, Everyman; and thou be once there, 150
Thou mayest never more come here, Trust me verily.
EVERYMAN. O gracious God, in the high seat celestial,
Have mercy on me in this most need!
Shall I have no company from this vale terrestrial
Of mine acquaintance that way me to lead? 155
DEATH. Yea, if any be so hardy,
That would go with thee and bear thee company.
Hie thee that thou were gone to God’s magnificence,
Thy reckoning to give before his presence.
What! weenest ° thou thy life is given thee, 160 °think
And thy worldly goods also?
EVERYMAN. I had weened so, verily.
DEATH. Nay, nay; it was but lent thee;
For, as soon as thou art gone,
Another a while shall have it, and then go therefrom 165
Even as thou hast done.
Everyman, thou art mad! Thou hast thy wits five,
And here on earth will not amend thy life;
For suddenly I do come.
EVERYMAN. O wretched caitiff! whither shall I flee, 170
That I might ‘scape endless sorrow?
Now, gentle Death, spare me till tomorrow,
That I may amend me
With good advisement. ° °warning
DEATH. Nay, thereto I will not consent, 175
Nor no man will I respite,
But to the heart suddenly I shall smite
Without any advisement.
And now out of thy sight I will me hie;
See thou make thee ready shortly, 180
For thou mayst say this is the day
That no man living may ‘scape away. (Exit DEATH.)
EVERYMAN. Alas! I may well weep with sighs deep.
Now have I no manner of company
To help me in my journey and me to keep; 185
And also my writing is full unready.
How shall I do now for to excuse me?
I would to God I had never been get!
To my soul a full great profit it had be,
For now I fear pains huge and great. 190
The time passeth; Lord, help, that all wrought.
For though I mourn it availeth naught.
The day passeth, and is almost a-go;
I wot ° not well what for to do. °know
To whom were I best my complaint to make? 195
What if I to Fellowship thereof spake,
And showed him of this sudden chance?
For in him is all mine affiance, ° °trust
We have in the world so many a day
Been good friends in sport and play. 200
I see him yonder, certainly:
I trust that he will bear me company;
Therefore to him will I speak to ease my sorrow.
