This work of research aims to elucidate the structure and meaning of the "Quixotic rhetoric", that is, persistent patterns in the protagonist's delivery of discourses. Through a close reading of select episodes in the novel, the study explores their style, structure, with a particular attention devoted both to their connections to the rhetorical thought of Renaissance Spain and departures from the rhetorical tenets of the time. This thesis is focused on the following questions: 1) How exactly do Don Quixote's discourses function (and/or fail to function)? What are the mechanisms used by Cervantes to create an impression of the protagonist's rhetorical competence (or lack thereof)? How do the audience's reaction, narrator's comments, and further developments show that a particular speech is effective (ineffective)? Are there any discernible patterns in Don Quixote's discourses that consistently lead him to rhetorical triumph or failure? 2) How does Don Quixote depart from the rhetorical rules and expectations of the Spanish Golden Age? What do the subject and style of his discourses have in common with the rhetorical thought of of his day, and 'specialised' forms of rhetoric in particular (forensic, courtly, religious, etc.)? How does moving beyond the typical confines of rhetorical discourse affect the audience's (and the reader's) perception? 3) To what extent does the nature of Don Quixote as a work of fiction, and a putative originator of the novelistic genre, affect its representation of rhetorical discourse? Is the mad hidalgo's mishandling of rhetorical rules a satire of rhetoric as a whole? What is the meaning of the protagonist's use (and misuse) of rhetoric for the relationship between rhetoric and the novel?
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:748802 |
| Date | January 2017 |
| Creators | Serebrennikov, Artem |
| Contributors | Fisher, Tyler ; Thacker, Jonathan ; Williamson, Edwin |
| Publisher | University of Oxford |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:76b2cee9-d021-4812-82de-e0addfb6f632 |
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