Lion discourse, judgment representation, rhetorical devices, fables analysis, La Fontaine, The Animals Sick with the Plague, divine punishment, rhetorical questions, king of animals, symbolic judgment, power assertion, moral delivery, sacrifice justification, fabulist techniques, proverbial formulations, divine judgment transmission, Jean de La Fontaine Fables, 17th century literature, literary analysis, rhetorical strategies, symbolic representation, French literature, allegorical storytelling, moralizing fables, animal fables, plague narrative, leadership rhetoric, persuasive speech, literary devices, narrative techniques, historical context, cultural significance, literary symbolism, authorial intent, storytelling methods, fable interpretation
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Abstract
Analysis of Jean de La Fontaine's fable, The Animals Sick with the Plague, and the lion's discourse as a form of judgment.
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[...] In fact, he tells a story first: have devoured many sheep', we see this especially thanks to the use of the past tense. He then goes back to the present to deliver a moral to the other animals, exactly like La Fontaine does with his readers: 'For one must wish, according to all justice/That the most guilty perish.' The lion's personal implication finally tries to convince his audience with the presence of the personal pronoun as well as the verb of knowledge think', showing then his opinion as well as hyperboles such as 'gluttonous appetites' which affirm his power. [...]
[...] In the first instance, the lion presents this disease as a divine punishment: 'celestial wrath'. The gods are mentioned using a metonymy 'the Sky'. They are symbolized as being in the sky in opposition to the animals described, who are on earth. Furthermore, the lexical field of religion is very present: 'sins', 'misfortune', 'sacrifice'. We are witnessing a true divine judgment that is transmitted by the lion. The lion is best placed to give a judgment since he is the king of the animals. [...]
[...] In 1678, Jean de La Fontaine publishes his famous Fables. In this collection, one can find the famous fable The Animals Sick with the Plague. This text tells the story of the reaction of different animals living in groups who are struck by the disease. The lion is the first to speak. His position as king of the animals allows him to start the first speech. He explains that this disease is certainly a divine punishment and that thus one person must sacrifice themselves to calm the wrath of God. [...]
[...] It is also he who gathers everyone together. He is therefore shown in a position of superiority, which explains why he renders the judgment and presides over the council of all the animals. In a second instance, the lion uses several procedures to convince his audience that someone must be sacrificed and that, of course, it cannot be him. His words are transcribed in direct speech, which allows him to emphasize his words. In addition, he uses rhetorical questions to captivate the other animals. [...]
