Fr 139 History:  The Enlightenment & Pre-Revolution
Reading Questions
Ch. 5 "The Art of Eloquence"

1.  How do the authors define rhetoric?


2.  Why does French conversational style sometimes seem aggressive to Anglo-Americains?


3.  What is "esprit"?


4.  What differing rhetorical strategies do the French and the U.S. press use in newspaper articles?



"Ridicule" directed by Patrice Leconte (1996)

5.  What is the role of "esprit" in the court of Louis XVI, as depicted in the film?


6.  Why does Grégoire Ponceludon go to the court in the first place?


7.  Why has Mathilde agreed to marry the old Montalieri? 


8.  In what ways is Mathilde not a conventional woman?


9.  What does Grégoire do in order to get an audience with the king?


10.  What causes the downfall of the abbot of Vilecourt?


11.  How is Louis XVI portrayed in the film?