10 Examples of Allegory

Allegory

The allegory is a Literary figure or rhetoric that represents a concept or idea through images metaphorical or allusive to convey something different from what is expressed. For example: ORA woman with a scale in one hand, a sword in the other and blindfolded represents justice.

Allegories neglect meaning denotative or literal, to give preponderance to the figurative sense. They make the conceptual visible, that is, they capture in an image (which can include objects, people or animals) that idea or concept that does not have it.

Types of allegory

Examples of allegories

1. The allegory of the caveby Plato. The Greek philosopher appealed to this narrative to explain the relationship between human beings and knowledge. Through it he expresses the theory of how people capture the two worlds that exist, according to his theory: the intelligible and the sensible. The sensible world is the one that is perceived by the senses, and corresponds to the shadows that the men chained in the cave perceive. Meanwhile, in the world outside that cave is the intelligible world, where the idea of ​​Good exists, represented by the sun.
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2. The Garden of Earthly Delightsby El Bosco. The painter Jheronimus Bosch symbolizes, through this triptych-shaped painting, the beginning and the end of man. In the first table include Genesis and Paradise. In the third, locate Hell. And in the middle (which is the largest) symbolizes the loss of grace, through the illustration of various carnal pleasures.
3. Allegory of faithby Johannes Vermeer van Delft. In this painting, faith is represented by a woman sitting next to a table supported by a bible, a chalice, and a crucifix. The work also shows the cornerstone that crushes a snake located next to the apple of sin. In the background there is also a painting with the crucifixion of Christ and a checkered floor. Art historians have given various interpretations to this work over time.
4. The Divine Comedyby Dante Alighieri. This poem (written by the Italian author during the fourteenth century) is characterized by a language full of symbols to capture his knowledge and philosophical and moral positions. The plot revolves around the journey that Dante takes, guided by the poet Virgilio, until he finds his identity. On his journey, Dante goes through hell, which symbolizes despair; then through purgatory, which represents hope; and finally reaches paradise, symbol of salvation.
5. Lady of justice. The sculpture of a woman who is blindfolded, a balance in one hand and a sword in the other represents justice. It is a work inspired by the Greek goddess Themis, who imposed the natural seasons, that is, the order in nature. The sword symbolizes the execution of the measures, it is the means that the goddess uses to convince both parties about their decisions. Blindfolds mean that those decisions were made impartially, without any influence. Meanwhile, the balanced scale symbolizes modern justice.
6. Freedom illuminating the world. Better known as The statue of Liberty, this monument in New York symbolizes, through personification, the concept of political freedom. It was a gift from France to the United States for the 100th anniversary of its independence. Among the symbols that make up the statue is the seven-pointed crown worn by the woman, representing the seven continents. In addition, in her left hand, the woman holds some boards that symbolize the declaration of independence of that country. The torch that she holds in her right hand is the symbol of freedom.
7. The Persistence of Memoryby Salvador Dalí. Also known as The soft clocks, this painting symbolizes the disintegration of matter and the present as a consequence of the passage of time.
8. Rebelion on the farm, by George Orwell. With a satirical tone, the English author depicts how Stalin's Soviet regime corrupts the socialist system. This idea is transmitted through a story starring animals that live on a farm and that expel tyrant men, to create their own system of government that ultimately leads to a terrible tyranny.
9. The art of paintingby Johannes Vermeer. This 17th-century painting has as its theme the muse of History, Clío. Its alternate title is Allegory of painting. The experts identified several symbolic aspects within the work that shows a painter in his studio and a model posing for him. For example, the fact that the chandeliers do not have candles would symbolize the suppression of the Catholic faith, in a strongly Protestant Holland. Another example is the intense light that reaches the model, who would be a personification of the muse.

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