This paper analyzes three classical literary works looking at the role of time.
This paper compares and contrasts the role of time in three classic pieces of literature: Dante’s The Inferno, Rabelais’ “Gargantua and Pantagruel”, and Hobbes’ Leviathan. The author illustrates how the different uses of time allows each writer to relate their beliefs and theories in their own inimical style without detracting from their main objective, nor decreasing the timeless element in their narrative.
The role of time in many classic literary pieces does much to convey its timelessness as well as its relevancy to the human condition. Dante’s Divine Comedy (specifically The Inferno), Rabelais’ Gargantua and Pantagruel, and Hobbes’ Leviathan, are clear examples of this. All three classic tales convey a narrative which seems to exist out of time, yet each take often uses allegory or symbolism in referring to specific periods in human history in order to contain relevance to the plight of the reader. Through making time oblique, the authors create a form, which allows them to illustrate the politics of their age as well as attach a timeless quality to their work, making their tales relevant to future generations.