Which aspects of medieval upper class society, values, customs, or behaviors do the stories of Reynard the Fox single out for criticism and mockery?

Reynard the Fox, a series of stories written between approximately 1171 and 1250 by several writers, satirizes many aspects of medieval society. At this time, most peasants struggled to exist in a world that was controlled by lords and upper-class people. Reynard, who represents one of the dispossessed, survives only by cunning and trickery. For example, when the Lion, the king of the beasts, assembles the animals at the beginning of the tales at...

Reynard the Fox, a series of stories written between approximately 1171 and 1250 by several writers, satirizes many aspects of medieval society. At this time, most peasants struggled to exist in a world that was controlled by lords and upper-class people. Reynard, who represents one of the dispossessed, survives only by cunning and trickery. For example, when the Lion, the king of the beasts, assembles the animals at the beginning of the tales at the court, many animals tell the king how Reynard has stolen from them. Courtois, the hound, tells the king that Reynard stole his pudding from him when he had no meat left. This situation of dire hunger is a criticism of the way many peasants lived during medieval times, when forests and other lands became settled, leading peasants to have less access to natural resources. Many of the animals in the stories, even the crafty Reynard, often go without food. Access to food was limited in medieval times, and, like Reynard (who eats five hens in a day), peasants tended to eat vast amounts of food when it was available to them. Food also could not be stored for long periods of time. The tales poke fun at this type of gluttony, but it was also a necessity of life in medieval times. 

Reynard symbolizes the crafty peasant who can outwit people of higher station or even the king. Medieval readers of the tales would have delighted in the ability of a peasant like Reynard to get the best of his social superiors. For example, Reynard outwits Isegrim, the wolf, who represents a powerful type of medieval person, such as a lord or clergyman. Reynard also sometimes gains an advantage by donning the cowl of a monk. For example, he tricks Chanticleer, the Cock, by dressing like a monk and then trying to eat Chanticleer's children. Reynard symbolizes the hypocrisy of the medieval clergy, who professed saintliness while being greedy.