The works of François Rabelais embody the Renaissance spirit of discovery and are crucial to the development of early modern prose and to the birth of the novel. This volume's essays present strategies for the classroom, discussing the classical and biblical allusions; the context of humanism and evangelical reform; various themes; both feminism and masculinity as vexing subjects; Rabelais's erudition; and the challenges of teaching his inventive language, his ambiguity, and his scatology.

The works of François Rabelais embody the Renaissance spirit of discovery and are crucial to the development of early modern prose and to the birth of the novel. This volume's essays present strategies for the classroom, discussing the classical and biblical allusions; the context of humanism and evangelical reform; various themes; both feminism and masculinity as vexing subjects; Rabelais's erudition; and the challenges of teaching his inventive language, his ambiguity, and his scatology.