sermons, but the ears you usually prick up for mountebanks, clowns, and fools (10). Humor in this situation lowers the defenses of one who might otherwise take offense to Erasmuss criticism. He chose Folly to carry his message because truth has a genuine power to please if it manages not to give offence, but this is something the gods have granted only to fools (57). He does not single out specific individuals or limit himself to specific groups of people; he includes almost everybody. Only the fools who personify the lightheartedness and happiness that are the essence of Erasmuss comedy escape this criticism.Erasmus even includes himself as a subject of this whimsical criticism showing that it is meant to be constructive not harshly judgmental as it was taken by his many critics. His criticisms of wise men, Seneca, women, and pedantry all apply to himself and he jokes about them all (xvi). He knows that, in her first and most humorous voice, Folly is criticizing aspects of life that are of small significance in comparison to her later targets, and Erasmus takes no shame in admitting his participation in such minor foolishness. With Follys first voice, Erasmus points out the insignificant foolishness that plays into every persons life, including his own, with banter and sarcasm which itself is a criticism of mans uptight nature. He realizes that people are too uptight, and he teaches them, by example, the benefit of laughing at oneself. For this is the way to avoid the self-deception of the obstinate sophists (10) and those who brib[e] some sycophantic speaker or babbling poet hired for a fee so that they can listen to him praising their merits, purely fictitious though these are (11). Towards the end, when Folly speaks more seriously, she explains the humble nature of this attitude in her agreement with St. Pauls praise of folly as a prime necessity and a great benefit (123). Erasmus believes that folly is an important asset...
