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REASON, SENSUALITY AND ALLEGORY IN THE ASSEMBLY OF GODS

A thesis submitted to the faculty of Brigham Young University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts from the Department of Humanities Classics and Comparative Literature, August 2000. Copyright © 2000. All Rights Reserved.

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Abstract:

The Assembly of Gods is a fifteenth century allegorical poem that focuses on the role of reason and sensuality in the interpretation of allegory and the preparation of the soul for judgement. The poem combines common late-medieval motifs to create an allegory about allegory and to reveal the way that the senses and reason must work together to expose the underlying meaning of literary, visual and dramatic allegories. The poem is also concerned with the way that this combination of reason and sense information in allegorical interpretation can train the reasonable aspect of the soul and lead the individual to live a more virtuous life and thus prepare him or her for judgment. The two most prominent characters in the poem, the narrator/dreamer and Atropos/Death, exemplify this progression and preparation. The poem not only explains and gives examples of these concepts, it offers itself as a chance to experience the process. The narrative level of the poem invites the reader to look beyond the surface of the poem to find meaning, and, in particular, to find the accord of reason and sensuality. The Assembly of Gods requires its readers to apply their own reason to the information that comes from the surface of the poem and in the process create their own accord between reason and sensuality.

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Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1
a. Reason and Sensuality in Medieval Literature
b. Reason and Sensuality in The Assembly of Gods

Chapter 2
a. Reason, Sensuality and Allegory
b. Reason, Sensuality and Allegory in The Assembly of Gods

Chapter 3: Literary, Visual and Dramatic Allegories
a. Literary
b. Visual
c. Dramatic

Chapter 4: Death and the accord of Reason and Sensuality
a. The Allegory of Death
b. The Accord of Reason and Sensuality in Death

Conclusion

Appendix 1
a. The Poem
b. Authorship and Date
c. Manuscripts
d. Title

Appendix 2: Critical response to The Assembly of Gods

Works Cited

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