Rupert Read Writing

In the introduction to Of Reynaert The Fox a paraphrase of the Greek fable of the sick lion is recounted in order to highlight that the themes and motifs in Of Reynaert The Fox have a long and venerable history. The last line of this paraphrased fable reads as follows: "The fable teaches that every sin brings its own punishment" (Bouwman, et al. 11). In assessing the interaction and roles of humans with the animals-that-behave-like-humans in Of Reynaert The Fox we find that humans (with the exception of the priest) escape punishment for their sins while the animals do not. The exception amongst the animals to this is Reynaert who, while everyone is trying to punish him, manages to escape punishment through immorality, deception and lies. In this essay I will analyse the instances where humans and animals interact in Of Reynaert The Fox along with their roles in order to determine if Reynaert is a villain or just a smart crook who nevertheless has our sympathy. In the prolo...

For this essay I will perform a close reading of Song of Songs in order to interrogate David Biale's assertion in Eros and the Jews that, unlike other biblical examples, Song of Songs is about female transgression. In Eros and the Jews Biale defines female transgression as "The woman [playing] a sexually aggressive role; she violates boundaries" (Biale 31). I will be close reading a version of Song of Songs from The Jewish Study Bible edited by Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler which includes notes by the editors on the text and which will also be subject to my close reading. To help me close read the text I will be utilising my own loose definition of what female transgression involves. Essentially, I have looked for instances where the female character(s) is(are) not submissive to the male character(s) and/or are open about their own sexuality and desire. The first verses (1.2-4) of the Song after the title are described in the editors' notes as "the woman ...