Pantagruel

Once regarded as obscene, Pantagruel (full title: The Horrible and Terrifying Deeds and Words of the Very Renowned Pantagruel King of the Dipsodes, Son of the Great Giant Gargantua) is the first of five 16th-century novels written by Francois Rabelais telling the adventures of two giants, Gargantua and his son Pantagruel. Celebrating wordplay and language as well as scatological and vulgar humor, the books remain enjoyable and slightly offensive even after centuries.

The story begins with a description by the narrator (presumed to be Rabelais himself) of the ancestry of the giants Gargantua and his son Pantagruel. Then it jumps to Gargantua and his wife Badebec as she dies in childbirth having Pantagruel, who is quickly seen to be a giant just like his father. Pantagruel also shares his father’s love of books and learning, and Rabelais devotes an entire chapter to a list of the books Pantagruel reads, which are all humorously titled.

Pantagruel is tutored by Epistemon as a child, but when he grows older Gargantua sends him away to continue his learning. Pantagruel visits several schools focused on various disciplines including law and medicine, and finds that their techniques and ideas about education are outdated and stuffy. He travels on to Paris and spends time in the libraries, reading voraciously. Gargantua writes to him with his thoughts on education, which involve many reforms that Rabelais suggests seriously, many of which were ahead of their time.



Pantagruel meets Panurge, who has been at his education for some time. Panurge claims to be part of the nobility, and claims that he was imprisoned and tortured in Turkey for some time. The two become very close friends, although when Pantagruel is not with Panurge the latter is shown to be a con artist and liar who is always in need of money and always working some scheme to get some; Pantagruel never sees through his friend and always believes him to be a noble and honorable man.

Pantagruel is drawn into a legal action and takes part in the court arguments. When none of the judges can come to a clear decision, they turn to Pantagruel to decide for them because of his vast reading and wise demeanor. Pantagruel’s decision is meaningless, but he is praised by everyone involved and his useless judgment is accepted.

Pantagruel meets another scholar, an Englishman named Thaumast, who has traveled to Paris because he has heard of Pantagruel’s wisdom. Thaumast challenges Pantagruel to a debate, swearing that if he loses the argument he will be Pantagruel’s servant for the rest of time. They conduct their debate entirely with hand signs, and Pantagruel is judged the winner. Pantagruel and Panurge acquire an entourage of admirers who are dedicated to them and help them in everything they do; Panurge often uses this to his advantage as he plays awful pranks on the townsfolk and cheats people out of their money.



Pantagruel hears that his father, Gargantua, has died, and that his homeland Utopia has been invaded by a rival group of giants known as the Dipsodes. Pantagruel, Epistemon, and Panurge travel back to Utopia with Pantagruel where they face 660 giants in battle. They defeat them first by getting them drunk, then through feats of battle and finally by drowning the remaining enemies in urine. One Dipsode survives and Pantagruel keeps him as a slave. They discover that the beloved tutor Epistemon has been decapitated in the battle, but Panurge revives him by sewing his head back on. Panurge tells Pantagruel not to worry about going to hell, because in hell the worst punishment is that everyone must work jobs they hate and are not paid well.

Pantagruel and Panurge throw a party to celebrate their victory, and Pantagruel sends the slave to his homeland to demand their surrender. Pantagruel and his companions fight other giants that were in alliance with the Dipsodes, and defeat them all. Pantagruel asks all the people of Utopia to help him conquer the Dipsodes. On the way, a sudden storm threatens to swamp the army, but Pantagruel uses his tongue as an umbrella and keeps everyone dry.

Rabelais then enters Pantagruel’s mouth and lives there for several months, discovering an entire civilization has sprung up amongst the giant’s teeth. When he emerges, Pantagruel has conquered the land of the Dipsodes and finds himself the king of a new realm. He must rule and make decisions, including figuring out how to get enough wine to his subjects, and publishes a book of sage wisdom which, hilariously, is filled with patently obvious statements like noting that the blind will not be able to see.



Pantagruel was successful and inspired Rabelais to write more about the giants; although first written, Pantagruel is the second book chronologically and is considered rougher and less sophisticated than the volumes that followed, most of which were written when Rabelais had been given legal leave by the king to write what he pleased without fear of repercussions.