Sec 8.2.1 "The Satires of Erasmus"
What is Praise of Folly and how was it used to influence social change? Discuss the significance of satire and irony in the response
Not only is Erasmus's work structured as a speech, but there are many explicit and implicit comments on oratory. Early on, Folly insists she will not use the common oratorical tricks, and yet ironically proceeds to use them nevertheless. As he over and over lambasts various figures for the way they speak or manipulate language for their own benefit, she is ironically doing that very thing, thereby reinforcing her argument that every aspect of our lives is representative of folly.
