An allegory is a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. The play Everyman and the movie The Seventh Seal both contain many allegorical aspects. They each contain different forms of allegorical encounters, showing the different ways in which an allegory can exist. Everyman is more of a realistic, moral type allegory, and The Seventh Seal is more along the lines of a political, social allegory. Everyman is a dramatized allegory. It takes us through a journey in which this man, representing literally every man, encounters Death, and has to go through his riches(goods, good-deeds, beauty, etc.) for companions to 'ride' along his side to Death. Everyman has a hard time with discovering what can go with him, and what must stay behind. In order to go to heaven, Everyman has to figure out which ones can in fact go with him to Death. In the turnout of things, Everyman goes to heaven by Death with knowledge and good-deeds by his side. .
First, Everyman is allegorical because it represents every humans life, it moralizes our meaning, what we should look for, beware of, seek throughout our time. It shows us the values, what to not worry so much about, and what to keep with us forever. The audience reads this play considering Everyman's situation and his symbolism, and they come to find that hidden beneath the story is the audience itself. Each and every one of them is contained within this character Everyman, and he becomes and allegorical character for all of our lives. Some may take longer than others to come to the realization, for it does in actuality "lay between the lines." Second, in the play Everyman there is the character, Death, who is indeed allegorical. Death is the means by which man finally meets God. The character shows us not only how every man should meet death, but also how every man should live.
