Knowra Allegory Allegory Allegory is a mode of representation in which characters and events convey meanings beyond their literal narrative. Its layered structure invites interpretation of a narrative as a sustained system of symbolic correspondences.
Symbolism : The use of objects, actions, or images to suggest meanings beyond their literal presence. Allegory builds extended patterns from symbols distributed across a narrative.
The Faerie Queene : An epic poem by Edmund Spenser whose knights and adventures carry religious and political meanings. Its personified virtues and layered episodes exemplify extended literary allegory.
Allegoresis : The practice of interpreting a text as conveying meanings beyond its literal narrative. It names the interpretive act that uncovers or constructs an allegory's additional meanings.
Aesop : The traditional name for an ancient Greek storyteller associated with animal fables. Aesopic fables helped establish narrative forms often read for meanings beyond their plots.
Satire : A mode of criticism that uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to expose human or institutional faults. Allegory may carry satire, but its defining feature is layered representation, not criticism.
Metaphor : A figure of speech that describes one thing in terms of another to suggest a resemblance. Allegorical narratives can unfold a metaphor across characters and events.
The Pilgrim's Progress : A 1678 Christian allegory by John Bunyan about a pilgrim's journey toward salvation. Its named characters and places turn spiritual struggle into a sustained journey.
Typology : A method of biblical interpretation in which earlier people or events prefigure later ones. Like allegory, it links narrative elements to larger meanings, but emphasizes historical prefiguration.
Philo of Alexandria : A Hellenistic Jewish philosopher who interpreted the Hebrew scriptures through Greek philosophical ideas. His scriptural interpretations are a major example of ancient allegorical reading.
Parody : An imitation of a particular work or style that exaggerates its features, often for comic effect. Parody depends on recognizable imitation, whereas allegory depends on extended correspondence.
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