Here, Rabelais alludes to Soloman and his thoughts on science without conscience. Soloman, the third king of Isreal, was known as one of the wisest and wealthiest men in the Bible (Nelson, 2020). He is known for his writings of multiple books in the Bible, and was very knowledgable on many matters. When he says "knowledge without conscience is but the ruin of the soul", he is basically saying that if we use our knowledge without any care to what is right or wrong, we will ultimately lead to "ruin", rather than improvement in society.

Nelson, R. (2020, August 6). Who was king solomon? the beginner's guide. OverviewBible. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://overviewbible.com/solomon/

In this excerpt, Gargantua explains why monks in society are shunned and hated by "all men, both young and old". The main reason he gives for this is their uselessness- they pray for things ordinary people don't need, without thinking of what they are even praying for. His view of them aligned with those in the 15th century, where monks were shunned due to their hypocritical behavior and negligence and apathy with their religious duties (Dinning, 2022). Gargantua later explains why Friar John, unlike the monks, is a true Christian, and is not a "bigot or hypocrite".

Dinning, R. (2022, August 30). Monks behaving badly. HistoryExtra. https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/monks-sex-drink-gamble-history-pope/

Romulus is one literary character mentioned here that holds historical significance. He is a descendant of Aeneas, who is mentioned at the beginning of this paragraph. Romulus, along with his twin brother Remus, founded Rome in 753 B.C. By beginning the story with references to historical figures such as Romulus, readers are able to have better context of the time period and the connections these figures have to Sir Gawain and King Arthur.

History.com editors. Rome Founded - History. 24 Nov. 2009, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rome-founded.

At this time in the Greek world, women had little to no rights. Men controlled their lives and their only duties and value were to bear and raise children and maintain the household (Column). Here Lysistrata is passing her stereotypical womanly duties onto the Magistrate, declaring that war is the "women's affair" now.

In this excerpt, Krishna is explaining yoga and mindfulness to Arjuna. He describes how the saint, or "Muni", stays awake when the world is asleep, and does not take interest in what the world lives for. "Muni" translates to "the silent one"; someone who can "control and silence their illogical thoughts". (Prasad). By practicing silence, munis are able to reach a higher level of consciousness and more spiritual holiness is achieved.