Novella 70 best highlights the use of androgyne metaphor presented by Johanna Vernqvist. Androgyne metaphor comes from Aristophanes’ myth that people where once made to have two heads and four limbs but there struck in half by the Gods. Vernqvist suggests that because Marguerites characters are in love, they can take on their lovers traits. In Novella 70 we see the Duchess of Bourgogne adopt masculine traits because she is part of a couple. Androgyne metaphor is used by Marguerite in this and other novellas to elevate her female characters to the same level of importance as their male counterparts. By portraying women to possess masculine qualities, they are granted a voice, opinion, and ability to act as the men do, in an era that would have looked down on women to do so. In this way Marguerite challenges the traditional gender roles of her time.

Vernqvist, Johanna. “Negotiating Neoplatonism and the Androgyne Metaphor in Heptaméron 70 and 19.” L’Esprit Créateur, vol. 57, no. 3, 2017, pp. 93–104. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26378194. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.

A major theme is learning. Rabelais’ generation had to adapt from the thinking and beliefs of the Medieval Ages to the Renaissance way of thinking. This shift changed the way people thought of religion, science, and learning. Rabelais sets out to highlight the importance of active engagement in learning and critical thinking. As we move through Gargantua and Pantagruel’s life we see that shift in the choice of teachers as they explore various forms of learning, including formal education, travel, and self-study. Just like the hidden marrow in a bone the reader needs to look past the vulgarity and satire and seek out the hidden meaning in the text.

Merritt, Yvonne. “The Unquenchable Thirst to Understand: Francois Rabelais’ Satire of Medieval and Renaissance Learning In Gargantua and Pantagruel .” Rabelais, Rabelais (fgcu.edu)

Francesca di Rimini was forced to marry Giovanni (Gianciotto) Malatesta an older crippled man but falls in love with his younger brother Paolo. Francesca and Paolo are in second circle of hell and forever trapped in a whirlwind because they gave into their desires for each other and committed adultery. In this passage Francesca is recalling how they were reading the story of Lancelot and Guinevere. Francesca romanticizes the kiss and gives Paolo chivalric virtues. This is significant because “If Francesca sees in her lover the peer of such a worthy as Lancelot, she may also see in herself the equal of his Queen: and she may even think that she had a right to betray Gianciotto…” (Poggioli 337). This serves to highlight Dante’s theme: the perfection of Gods Justice.

Poggioli, Renato. “Tragedy or Romance? A Reading of the Paolo and Francesca Episode in Dante’s Inferno.” PMLA, vol. 72, no. 3, 1957, pp. 313–58. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/460460. Accessed 10 Mar. 2023.

SGGK incorporates many Christian symbolisms and themes. The crow crowing three times is symbolic of Sir Gawain having three chances to honor his agreement with the Green Knight. The crow having crowed three times may also be a foretelling of Gawain betraying his host on the third night. In the Gospel of Mark, verse 14 lines 66-72 Jesus is arrested in the garden of Gethsemane. Peter denies knowing Jesus as the rooster crows three times. Jesus had predicted Peter would betray him and it was on the third crow that Peter realizes that he had fulfilled Jesus’ prophecy.

Besserman, Lawrence. “The Idea of the Green Knight.” ELH, vol. 53, no. 2, 1986, pp. 219–39. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2873255. Accessed 9 Mar. 2023..

A strong theme in Lysistrata is the coming together of women from all walks of life. In this portion of text Lysistrata is welcoming Lampito, one of the women she has called from all over Greece. Lampito is important to the Play because she is a different social class than Lysistrara. As a Spartan she is allowed to own land and was free to conduct business in all aspects of her life. While Spartan women held power, they were still bound by societal norms to produce healthy children. They also had people who publicly criticized their positions believing they should hold traditional female positions in society.

Mark, Joshua J.. "Spartan Women." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 14 Jun 2021. Web. 02 Feb 2023.

In this portion of text, Krishna asks Arjuna to close all the entry points to the body and hum the most sacred syllable in Hindu, the OM. OM is made up of three sounds A, U and M. It is the original sound that all things manifest from. It represents Past, Present and Future as well as the physical plane, astral plane, and heaven. OM is described as "...nothing less than the supreme consciousness; so there can be nothing greater or a subject more important than Om". By making Arjuna meditate OM, Krishna can make Arjuna see how all-encompassing he is.

Kumar, Sanjay, et al. "Meditation on OM: Relevance from ancient texts and contemporary science." International Journal of Yoga, vol. 3, no. 1, Jan.-June 2010, p. 2. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A233405234/AONE?u=orla57816&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=80b62a01. Accessed 2 Feb. 2023.