Medieval Allegory in the Global Village -or- Star Wars and Se7en
Poetics of Virtue vs Vice -or- Philanthropic versus Misanthropic Dreams
Medieval allegories philologically combined the Western classical with the Biblical traditions. Many of the early and late great medieval allegories were poetically based in whole or in part on dream visions;
- "Consolation of Philosophy" by Boethius (late antiquity)
- "Le Roman de La Rose", by Guillaume de Lorris/Jean de Meun
- "Divine Comedy" By Dante Alighieri
- "Piers Plowsman" by William Langland
- "Pearl" (unknown author)
Psychomachia by Prudentius features the Christian allegorical moral conflict of the poetic forces in the soul of "virtue" versus "vice". Much like in the modern Hollywood dream factory space opera franchise "Star Wars", this moral medieval battle of good versus evil is won by the forces of good.
Freud had re-worked and re-wrote this Biblical and ethical idea, and transformed, recruited and employed it in the service of the modern medical humanities (psychotherapeutic) battle against psychological illnesses. Many of the dream interpretations posted at the International Institute for Dream Research website speak of the medical humanities battle against "psychopathology".
The psychological battle for an "empathetic" civilization is on going, and is personified by the poetic faces and emotional forces of benevolence versus malevolence, love versus hate, good versus evil, virtue versus vice, philanthropy versus misanthropy, empathy versus psychopathy, altruism versus egotism. Dream interpretations that outline the philanthropic and empathetic problem include;
- "Sacred Canopy of the Dream" speaks about the problem of evil.
- "Moral Judgment in Dreams"
- "The Empathetic Civilization"
The poetic currency of the philanthropic virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity (Love) can be found in dreams;
The modern poetic currency of misanthropy, vice and evil is featured in the popular neo-noir film "Se7en", where a sadistic serial killer's murders correspond to the "seven deadly sins": Gluttony, Greed, Envy, Lust, Pride, Sloth and Wrath. Many of these misanthropic feelings, poetic imaginings and psychological problems can be found in our dreams, here are some;
- "Vanity Fair in the Global Village"
- "The Devil is a Woman"
- "Greed is Good"
- "Keeping Up with the Joneses"
- "Saving Your Soul"
- "Vampires and Wiccans"
- "The Dolls House"
- "Impulse Control"
- "The Invention of Lying"
- "The Theatre of Cruelty"
- "The Murderous Gaze"
- "The Evil Eye of Medusa"
- "Hell is Other People"
- "Yahoos in the Global Village"