| Abstract: | Evelyn S. Newlyn's essay is concerned with two issues: the popularity of the fable tradition and Henryson's use of it to comment on various social and political ills. The fable has a long history as a form of literature designed not only to entertain but to instruct, and Henryson's creativity with the form is evidenced in his use of it to address social issues, as well as to incorporate moral instruction with entertainment. The popular representation of various social classes, with all their follies, and the hard-nosed look at the failure of certain institutions such as the law and the Church, reveal Henryson's awareness of reality as he perceives it. |
