When authors refer to other great works, people, and events, it’s usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.
Literary and Philosophical References
- Beelzebub (VI.III.2, VIII.II.36)
- Dædalus (V.I.82)
- Hermes (V.I.81)
- Iliad(V.II.16, V.II.38)
- Orpheus (V.I.81, V.II.22)
- Pierre Corneille, The Cid (I.II.65)
- Scylla and Charybdis (II.I)
- The Tower of Babel (II.VI.17, III.I.20, V.II.41, IX.I.17)
- Voltaire, Candide (III.II.33)
Historical References
- French Revolution (II.II.6, X.V.237)
- Guillaume de Paris/William of Paris (IV.V.4, V.I.82, VII.VI.5)
- Hundred Years' War (IV.I.30)
- Louis XI (a character in the novel)
- Martin Luther (V.II.31)
- Michelangelo (V.II.32)
- Nicholas Flamel (IV.V.4, V.I.82)
- Olivier le Daim (IV.III.1, X.V.213, XI.IV.8)