Week 11

Question 1

Pardoner’s tale as exemplum

Answer 1

Radix malorum est cupitas (3 scoundrels die because of their greed)

Question 2

Allegory

Answer 2

• method of instruction
• Stems from plato (cave)
• like a really long metaphor
• relies on doctrine shared between reader and author
• within narrative is equated with meanings outside narrative

Question 3

Allegory in Pardoner’s Tale

Answer 3

• Personification (old man)
• Shared Christian doctrine (crooked way)
• Beatific version of God
• parodies of last supper and stabbing of Christ/youngest rascal

Question 4

Difference Exemplum v. Allegory

Answer 4

Exemplum requires generalisation

Allegory requires translation

Question 5

2 levels of meaning allegorical figures

Answer 5

1. literal (inside narrative)

2. symbolic (outside narrative

Question 6

Allegory used for

Answer 6

• training lawyers (rhetoric)
• reading and interpreting the bible (=exegesis)
• reading and interpreting literary texts

Question 7

threefold interpretation of Bible

Answer 7

letter (linguistic construction)
sense (literal, surface meaning)
sentence (deeper, ‘spiritual’ meaning, moral)

Question 8

Patristic criticism exegesis

Answer 8

• refers to pater

- form of new historicism (take context into consideration)

Question 9

Medieval literature

Answer 9

• not autonomous, but self-referential

- external references (imagery/figurative language [MT], symbolism [romances, WOBT], allegory [PT])

Question 10

Medieval allegorical interpretation

Answer 10

• everything must make sense as it expresses God’s plan (bestiaries)
• written texts must also make sense

Question 11

nut as allegory for god

Answer 11

• fleshy part = human side of God
• wood under flesh = cross
• True nut = hidden nature of Christ

Question 12

fourfold interpretation of the bible

Answer 12

• literal level (what happened)
• allegorical level (what to believe)
• moral level (how to behave/live)
• anagogical level (what to hope for in the future)