Mankind is an English medieval morality play that was written around 1470. It is considered a moral allegory about the human race and follows Mankind’s fall into sin and his eventual repentance. The author of the play is unknown, but the manuscript is signed by a monk named Hyngham, who is believed to have transcribed …
Types of Allegories
“The Cry: A New Dramatic Fable” is a satirical allegory written by Jane Collier and Sarah Fielding in 1754. The work is a dialogue between two characters, Flavia and Lactilla, who discuss the role of women in society and the treatment of animals. The authors use the characters to comment on the social and political …
What Dreams May Come by Richard Matheson is a novel that explores the afterlife and the power of love. The book was published in 1978 and has since become a classic in the science fiction genre. The story follows Chris, a man who dies and goes to Heaven but descends into Hell to rescue his …
Bernard Malamud’s “The Magic Barrel” is a short story that was published in 1954. It tells the story of Leo Finkle, a reclusive rabbinical student who enlists the help of a matchmaker named Pinye Salzman to find a wife. The story is set in the Jewish community of New York City in the mid-20th century …
Merlin is a legendary figure who has been the subject of countless stories, poems, and plays throughout history. One of the most famous works about Merlin is the epic poem by Robert de Boron. Written in Old French in the late 12th or early 13th century, this poem tells the story of Merlin’s origin and …
Andha Yug is a five-act tragedy written by Dharamvir Bharati, a renowned novelist, poet, and playwright. The play is set in the last day of the Great Mahabharata war and was written in the years following the 1947 partition of India atrocities, as an allegory to its destruction of human lives and values. The play …
Shirley Jackson’s “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” is a haunting and mysterious novel that has captivated readers since its publication in 1962. The story is narrated by an 18-year-old girl named Mary Katherine, also known as Merricat, who lives with her sister Constance and their uncle Julian in a large estate on the …
Women Gladiators by Jusepe de Ribera is a painting that depicts an intense fight between two female gladiators. The painting was created in 1636 and is currently on display at the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Ribera’s painting has been the subject of much speculation and interpretation, with many art historians debating its meaning and …
Otar Chiladze’s “A Man Was Going Down the Road” is a novel that combines Georgian history and Greek mythology to create an allegory of the treachery and destruction that ensued when Russia, and then the Soviet Union, annexed Georgia. The novel begins with the Greek legend of Jason and the Golden Fleece and the consequences …
The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter is a historical novel that tells the story of a young boy named True Son, who was captured by the Delaware Indians when he was only four years old. After living with the Indians for over a decade, True Son is forced to return to his biological …