Everyman

Everyman (c. 1509-19) is a morality play. It derives from a Flemish original and is 921 lines long. Everyman, a representative figure of the human race, is summoned by death. He discovers that his friends Fellowship, Kindred, Cousin, and Goods will not go with him. It is Good Deeds, whom he previously neglected, who finally supports him and who offers to justify him before the throne of God.

In literature and drama, the term "everyman" has come to mean an ordinary individual, with whom the audience or reader is supposed to be able to identify, who is often placed in extraordinary circumstances.