Allegory is a literary device used to convey non-literal meaning through symbols or characters. It has been used throughout history, from Plato’s Allegory of the Cave to modern superhero films like Superman and Batman. In literature, allegory can be both specific and open to interpretation, and can be used to represent concepts, people, or worldviews. It adds depth to artwork and reveals the artist’s intent or worldview. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a modern example of a work of allegory that has gained scholarly attention.
An allegory is a device used in literature, rhetoric, and art to indicate a meaning that is not literal. When a device, character or symbol is considered an allegory, it could be a symbol of a concept, such as reason or luck, it could symbolize a type of person, such as the “common man” or a world view.
In literature, allegory is rampant. Sometimes the works were specifically allegorical, although some are read as both truth and symbol. For example, the apple that Adam receives from Eve is symbolic of the “knowledge of God and evil.” The serpent is often read as the tempter, or true evil.
In the New Testament, Christ makes frequent use of the parable to make statements about “people” in general. For example, the Good Samaritan is an allegory that represents the just and compassionate person. This is a specific rhetorical use of the device.
In early rhetoric, several key examples stand out: Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and Boeteo’s Consolation of Philosophy. Plato and Boetheus use the extended format device. Plato’s allegory describes the state of the unenlightened, who cannot even believe that enlightenment exists.
Boeteo, writing in the 6th century AD, uses allegory to explain the concept of luck. The following dialogue is that of a Boeteo imprisoned with philosophy, reason and fortune. His thoughts form the basis for much medieval thinking about the way the world operates. Specifically, the concept of luck, or chance, is used repeatedly in medieval literature.
Boeteo’s consolation becomes the inspiration for the allegory used by Dante, Boccaccio and Chaucer, and also inspires the Arthurian myths. Dante in particular uses an extended allegory to symbolize sins. Each level description of Hell or Purgatory is paired with a punishment that represents and fits the crimes.
Drama in medieval times often consisted of “morality plays” and the most famous of these is the play Everyman. The main character, Everyman, symbolizes the plight of all men in the face of temptation. Later, Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress would use the allegory in much the same way.
As the novel develops, allegory becomes much more difficult to interpret and prove. Novels tended to rely on a reader who invested in portraying characters as “real” people, but also saw the character as symbolic of something greater. For example, gothic novels, and later sensation novels, often used the concept of women imprisoned or captured by evil. Many feminists read these characters as allegorical representations of the lack of freedom afforded to women.
Indeed, allegory boils down to interpretation in the developing novel and the modern novel. Literary critics often argue about whether characters should be allegorical, real, or stereotyped. Literary characters can often be read in multiple ways.
A less contested return to allegory are the many films starring the superhero. Superman, Spiderman and Batman, for example, are all allegorical representations of the common man. The evils they fight are temptations to greed, violence, and behaviors that will otherwise disrupt society. Superheroes are both the common man and the guardian against evil.
One of the most interesting works of allegory in modern television was the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Each week Buffy would face a new demon or vampire who was also a symbol of whatever problems Buffy had faced as a high schooler and then as a college student. The use of this device in each episode has been so strong and cohesive that even scholars have taken a deep interest in the Buffyverse. Multiple serious conventions of literary and film majors have been held to present scholarly interpretations of Buffy.
Allegory in the present day adds layers of depth to artwork, as artistic figures or literary characters can be thought to be both real and symbolic. Finding such symbolism can be a fun or challenging process depending on the artwork. Typically, modern allegory often reveals the artist’s intent or worldview. It is part of the subtext that provides the reader, viewer, or observer with insight into an artist’s vision of not only how the world exists, but also how it could exist.
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