The Motives of Eloquence: Literary Rhetoric in the Renaissance

Rating:
Summary: Essential for understanding modern thought
Review: Lanham writes eloquently about the Renaissance consciousness and how people 500 years ago related to language and performativity and subjectivity. He discusses the rhetorical and serious sides of being and how they functioned.

This book has been essential to my intellectual life--especially when it comes to understanding central themes in Shakespeare.

This book is well worth the time spent for an out-of-print search.