Erasmus had a sense of humour. History and all of its current connotations and interpretations aside, the humanist scholar Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam wrote In Praise of Folly in 1509 (printed in 1511) and it is still read today. One of the best-selling books ever, it was written in Latin, although today known mostly through translation, and its comments on society, superstitious beliefs and the excesses of the contemporary Christian church, all delivered with a touch of humour, have proved to be compelling reading.
There is far more to the book than its attack on the 16th century church, even if it did play a role in the movement that led to the Reformation, and one focus of the book is the human failure to live in the best way possible. Erasmus addresses the human traits of frivolity, vanity and greed through the persona of Folly, a fictional character dressed as a jester.
Perfectly satisfied with herself, Folly claims responsibility for such activities as marriage, childbirth, drunkenness and pleasure- seeking, and states that it is better to be foolish than wise. (And yes, Folly is female, although there is perhaps not a lot that can be read into this as much of the criticism contained in the tale is aimed at clerics and academics, all of whom were at that time male.)
Erasmus follows a loose three-part structure in the book, drafting it while staying with his friend Sir Thomas More in London, and the title can be translated as ‘In Praise of More’, a pun which continues throughout the book. In the style of the time classical allusions abound, easy to interpret when it was written, less easy now with our different education, but the meanings are readily available with a bit of research.
Despite its popularity, In Praise of Folly nonetheless attracted criticism, mostly from the quarters at which its satire was directed – that is, other scholars and clerics. But in the end the book confirms Christian ideals, shown to their advantage when contrasted with the values espoused by Folly who continues to laud the link between herself and happiness.
In the course of the book, self-deception is given a hammering, the point is made that no one is wise all of the time, and prudence in regard to self-love is promoted as a good thing. Embellished and focused by Erasmus’s command of language, wisdom, wit and wordplay, all the components of his humour are recognizable today.
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