Writing from History: The Rhetoric of Exemplarity in Renaissance Literature

Writing from History examines a central feature of early modern European culture: the representation of exemplary figures from antiquity as models of action. Drawing on the literature and historiography the Renaissance, as well as on recent discussions in literary theory and philosophy, Timothy Hampton explores the ways in which the Renaissance self is constituted through a dialogue with history. Through nuanced readings of major works in French, Italian, Spanish, and English, he sheds new ...