Pasquil the Playne, a dialogue written by the English Humanist Thomas Elyot (1490–1546), was inspired by Elyot's unsuccessful experience as a counselor to Henry VIII. Seizing on this biographical context, historians have read the dialogue as a product of Elyot's disillusionment, identifying Elyot with the blunt, truth-telling Pasquil. In contrast this paper reads Pasquil the Playne as a multi-voiced Lucianic dialogue, which gives expression to several perspectives on the rhetoric of counsel. This reading problematizes questions of appropriateness (prepon) and right timing (kairos) in giving advice to a prince. Moreover, Elyot exploits the open-ended spirit of the Lucianic dialogue to attempt to develop in the reader the prudential reasoning (phronesis) essential to wise counsel.
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February 2012
Research Article|
February 01 2012
Rhetoric of Counsel in Thomas Elyot's Pasquil the Playne
Arthur Walzer
Arthur Walzer
Communication Studies, 234 Ford Hall, 224 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. [email protected]
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I thank Robert Sullivan of Ithaca College for many inspiring discussions about Elyot, an anonymous Rhetorica reviewer for pointing out embarrassing omissions and toward important sources, and the editor for his support.
Rhetorica (2012) 30 (1): 1–21.
Citation
Arthur Walzer; Rhetoric of Counsel in Thomas Elyot's Pasquil the Playne. Rhetorica 1 February 2012; 30 (1): 1–21. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/RH.2012.30.1.1
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