MARITIME METAPHORS IN SEBASTIAN BRANT’S THE SHIP OF FOOLS
MARITIME METAPHORS IN SEBASTIAN BRANT’S THE SHIP OF FOOLS

Summary/Abstract: Although the maritime metaphor of the ship was not applied to Sebastian Brant’s The Ship ofFools in the initial version but was subsequently added as a framing device, the compound metaphor of‘the ship of fools’ remains a prominent symbol of the late Middle Ages. The complexity of the work islinked to the late-medieval transition to the modern age and the attending shifts in the medievalworldview. The paper aims to investigate the symbolism of the ship as used by S. Brant by reference to thecontemporary context. It examines the relevance of the historical context and analyses whether themaritime metaphors are used solely as formal and structural device or they actually participate in theunderlying significance of the book.

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