The Ship of Fools, Volume 1 by Sebastian Brant

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Author Brant, Sebastian, 1458-1521
Editor Jamieson, T. H. (Thomas Hill), 1843-1876
Translator Barclay, Alexander, 1475?-1552
Title The Ship of Fools, Volume 1
Note Reading ease score: 57.8 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.
Note Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Fools_(satire)
Credits Produced by Frank van Drogen, Keith Edkins and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)
Summary "The Ship of Fools, Volume 1" by Sebastian Brant is a satirical poem written in the late 15th century. It serves as a critical reflection on the follies and vices of humanity through the lens of a ship full of fools. The central idea is to expose various societal flaws, making it not only a humorous take on human nature but also a commentary on contemporary issues leading into the Reformation period. The opening of the text provides a detailed introduction that situates the work within its historical context, discussing its origins, translations, and popularity across Europe. The author reflects on the widespread acclaim the original German version received and the subsequent English adaptation by Alexander Barclay, which aims to address the follies of the people in England at the time. Notably, the introduction emphasizes the lasting relevance of Brandt's satire, highlighting its moral undertones and the social issues it addresses, such as gluttony, miserliness, and the superficiality of religious practices. This sets the stage for an exploration of human nature wrapped in a rich tapestry of classical and biblical references. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Language English
LoC Class PT: Language and Literatures: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures
Subject German poetry -- Translations into English
Subject English poetry -- Translations from German
Category Text
EBook-No. 20179
Release Date
Most Recently Updated Apr 9, 2008
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
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