key words

• sardonic= their attitude to people/things is humorous rather than critical
• mercantile (imagery)= money/materialistic
• hierarchy= the order in which people are ranked according to status and/or power
• feudalistic society= relies on honour or duty
• senex amans= old jealous man married to young lady

  --> object of mockery
• roman a clef= self/made up story
• solipsistic= extreme egocentricism
• theocratic= a rule determined by religious philosophy
• lechery= to have an excessive or offensive sexual desire
• epithet= an adjective or phrase expressing a quality or attribute regarded as characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.
• deus ex machina= intervention from the gods
• placebo= a measure designed merely to humour or placate someone.
• satire= he use of humour or exaggeration to expose and criticize people's foolishness or wicked ideas/behaviour.
• delusion= the state of believing things that are not true
• ambivalent= having more than one meaning
• obsequious= to 'suck up' and please someone
• fabliau= popular story in 13th century france that contains moral messages
• solipsistic= extreme egocentricism the antonym of empathy
• theocratic= a rule determined by religious phiosophy
• proselytise= try to persuade someone to share your beliefs