Medieval allegories use symbolism and personification to convey complex ideas. Characters, settings, and events represent abstract concepts, often with religious or moral significance. These techniques allow authors to explore deep themes in an engaging, accessible way.

The journey motif is common, mirroring the soul's path to salvation. Symbols like light, darkness, and animals represent virtues, vices, and spiritual states. Personified characters embody moral qualities, creating a rich tapestry of meaning in these works.

Allegory in Medieval Literature

Definition and Key Characteristics

• Allegory is a literary device where characters, events, and settings represent abstract ideas, moral qualities, or spiritual concepts beyond their literal meaning
• In medieval literature, allegories were often used to convey complex religious, philosophical, and political ideas in an accessible and engaging manner
• Key characteristics of medieval allegories include:
  • Personification: attribution of human qualities or characteristics to abstract ideas, inanimate objects, or animals
  • Symbolism: use of objects, colors, numbers, or other concrete elements to represent abstract ideas or concepts
  • Clear moral or spiritual message: conveys a lesson or truth related to Christian virtues, vices, and doctrine
• Allegories in medieval literature often feature a journey or quest motif, representing the soul's journey towards salvation or enlightenment
• Medieval allegories frequently draw upon Christian theology (doctrine of sin and redemption), classical mythology (Greek and Roman gods and heroes), and contemporary social issues (corruption in the Church) to create multi-layered narratives

Journey or Quest Motif

• The journey or quest motif is a common feature in medieval allegories, representing the soul's journey towards salvation or enlightenment
• The protagonist embarks on a physical journey that mirrors their internal spiritual or moral growth
• Along the journey, the protagonist encounters various challenges, temptations, and revelations that test their faith and character
• The journey often culminates in a transformative experience or realization, such as the attainment of divine grace or the understanding of a higher truth
• Examples of the journey motif in medieval allegories include:
  • Dante's "Divine Comedy": the poet's journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise
  • "The Romance of the Rose": the lover's quest to pluck the rose from the enchanted garden

Symbolism for Moral Messages

Use of Symbols

• Symbolism is the use of objects, colors, numbers, or other concrete elements to represent abstract ideas or concepts
• In medieval allegories, symbols are used to convey moral and spiritual messages, often related to Christian virtues, vices, and doctrine
• The interpretation of symbols in medieval allegories often requires an understanding of biblical and classical references, as well as the cultural and historical context of the work
• Symbols can be recurring motifs throughout the narrative, gaining layers of meaning as the story progresses
• The use of symbolism allows for multiple interpretations and encourages active engagement from the reader

Common Symbols and Their Meanings

• Light: represents divine truth, grace, or spiritual illumination (the light of God's love)
• Darkness: represents sin, ignorance, or the absence of divine grace (the darkness of the soul)
• Cross: represents Christ's sacrifice and the path to salvation (bearing one's cross)
• Rose: represents love, beauty, or the Virgin Mary (the rose without thorns)
• Owl: represents wisdom, knowledge, or the ability to see through deception (the wise old owl)
• Animals: can represent human qualities or moral characteristics (the loyal dog, the cunning fox)
• Colors: can symbolize various emotions, virtues, or spiritual states (white for purity, red for passion or martyrdom)

Personification in Allegory

Creating Allegorical Characters

• Personification is the attribution of human qualities or characteristics to abstract ideas, inanimate objects, or animals
• In medieval allegories, personification is used to create characters that embody moral qualities, emotions, or spiritual concepts
• Allegorical characters often have names that reflect their representative qualities, such as "Charity," "Envy," or "Patience"
• The interactions and conflicts between allegorical characters serve to illustrate the complex relationships between different virtues, vices, and human experiences
• Personified characters can be flat or round, depending on their role in the narrative and the depth of their characterization

Representing the Human Psyche

• Personified characters in medieval allegories can also represent different aspects of the human psyche or soul, such as reason, emotion, or desire
• The internal conflicts and interactions between these personified aspects of the self can mirror the struggles and growth of the individual
• For example, the character of Reason may guide the protagonist towards virtue, while the character of Desire may tempt them towards sin
• The resolution of these internal conflicts often leads to a greater understanding of the self and one's place in the spiritual or moral order
• Examples of personified aspects of the human psyche in medieval allegories include:
  • "Piers Plowman": the characters of Dowel (Do-Well), Dobet (Do-Better), and Dobest (Do-Best) represent different levels of spiritual attainment
  • "Everyman": the characters of Good Deeds, Knowledge, and Strength represent the qualities that one must cultivate to achieve salvation

Significance of Allegorical Settings

Symbolic Meaning of Landscapes

• Allegorical settings and landscapes in medieval literature are often imbued with symbolic meaning and serve to create a visual and emotional backdrop for the narrative
• The journey through these symbolic landscapes often mirrors the protagonist's internal journey towards moral or spiritual growth
• The description of allegorical landscapes often includes sensory details and imagery that contribute to the overall mood and theme of the work, such as the fragrance of flowers or the darkness of a forest
• Allegorical settings can also represent different states of being or stages of life, such as the "spring of youth" or the "winter of old age"

Common Allegorical Settings

• Gardens: represent paradise, the soul, or a state of innocence and purity (the Garden of Eden)
• Forests: represent the world, moral confusion, or the challenges of the spiritual journey (the dark wood in Dante's "Inferno")
• Mountains: represent spiritual ascent, challenges, or the attainment of higher knowledge (the mountain of Purgatory in Dante's "Divine Comedy")
• Cities: can represent the earthly realm, human society, or the corruption of worldly values (the city of Vanity in Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress")
• Rivers: can symbolize the flow of life, the passage of time, or the cleansing of the soul (the river of forgetfulness in the underworld of Greek mythology)