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The Last Supper

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Numerology & Symmetry In Christian scripture, the number 7 has been associated with divine or ‘spiritual perfection’ (Bullinger, 139) or completeness, which is evident in the symmetry of Henryson’s fables. In the Book Of Genesis, God spends six days creating earth and heaven, leaving the seventh day as a rest day (2:2-3). Therefore, God is represented by the number 7. Furthermore, God created man on the sixth day (1:26-7). This symbolises man and that he is one step away from God, but can never be equal to him. The most identifiable visual representation of the divine being associated with the number 7 is in Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Here, Christ is depicted in the centre of the painting with 6 Disciples either side. Divinity, perfection …show more content…
Though the fable stands out as the mid-point symmetrically and numerically, it also stands out as the mid-point in its details. For example, it has its own prologue, which has the appearance of the Medieval dream-vision. In the dream-vision, the characters listen to the advice and reasoning given to them. As a result, there are no consequences for them. Therefore, it ends in happiness for all (Gopen, 49). This promotes the ideal for perfection in one’s life. As a ‘vision of utopia’, this lesson demonstrates the moral goodness of Christ’s teachings and stories. However, these divine stories convey falsehood as not everything in life is good. Furthermore, the choices people make are not always morally righteous, which is proven in “The Cock and the Jasp” and “The Lion and the Mouse”. In this sense, Christian stories distort the truth and reality. In relation to Henryson, he showcases the good and the harsh realities of life, but in an alarming, humorous and witty way. Though Henryson follows symmetry and centrality, which has divine appearances, it seems that he is trying to open the eyes of the reader to determine that there is not one truth and one way of thinking. This means that Plato’s theory The Allegory of the Cave holds true within Henryson’s fables as one need to escape the cave to discover true enlightenment and …show more content…
The story is often a kind of allegory, and commonly consists of a tour of some marvellous realm, in which the dreamer is conducted and instructed by a guide’ (Baldick). They were understood by the Middle Ages as being sent by God or the Devil. This makes dream-visions a type of Christian allegory. According to Eco, it is evident that Christians of the Middle Ages used their imagination to create symbols to associate God and the divine with objects, animals and landscapes. The most known example is the lamb as a symbol for Christ. As Eco states, it brought positivity within Christianity, but also gave artistic licence for people to create their own symbols (54). There is also the fact that if Christians are surrounded by artistic Christian symbolism, they will behave the way that God intended, which is to be a good person. This idea corresponds to Henryson’s seventh fable, as the dream-vision’s divine attributes promotes reason and moral goodness. Gopen believes that Henryson’s Utopian and perfect seventh fable is only presentable as a dream (55). This means that perfection and harmony does not exist in reality. However, it can be strived for. Aesop’s appearance in the dream-vision of the prologue highlights his authoritas as the original auctor of the fables, but also the divine qualities that Henryson attributes to

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