Joseph HallのMundus Alter et Idemにおける諷刺とアレゴリーについて

Joseph Hall's Mundus Alter et Idem (Another World and Yet the Same) is a Menippean satire with an allegorical setting. It has been long neglected because of the difficulty in reading the original Latin text. It was written for readers who knew Greek and Roman classics well. Though John Healey translated the book into English soon after the publication of the original, it was more of an adaptation rather than a translation. This prevented readers from appreciating the book. With the appearance of the new English translation by J. M. Wands in 1981 the situation was changed and we can now appreciate the peculiarity and the intended meaning of the work. Various themes in Hall's satire can be located in the book. Such things as the Seven Deadly Sins, fearful control by women, foolish deeds of men, superstitious fools, and heretics are satirized one after another. Hall's satire of religion is one of the more interesting parts of his book. The book also incorporates many other elements. For example, illustrations depicting a strange monument and some coins are very conspicuous on the pages of the book. Marginal notes provided by the author are numerous and minute. Even though readers may feel that such minutae is a nuisance, they are also quite important for understanding the allegorical meanings. Despite several defects, like the abrupt end of the narrative or the lack of consistency in the method of satire, Hall's Mundus can be considered as one of the most important works of allegorical Menippean satire in the history of the satirical books such as More's Utopia, Erasmus' Encomium Moriae, Rabelais' Gargantua and Pantagruel, and Swift's Tale of a Tub and Gulliver's Travels.

公開日:2010年1月24日で登録したコンテンツは、国立情報学研究所において電子化したものです。