The Praise of Folly

The Praise of Folly is a short work, commonly understood to be divided into three different sections. It is narrated by Folly herself; she stands before a crowd of listeners wearing the costume of a fool and announces her intention that she plans to extol her own virtues and merits. She is accompanied by a number of her attendants, including Philautia (Self-Love), Kolakia (Flattery), Lethe (Forgetfulness), and Anoia (Imbecility), among others. In her introduction, she wonders at the fact that no one has sought to build a monument or compose an encomium for her, despite her ubiquity and her ability to bring universal pleasure. In fact, her stated intention is to articulate how she can be said to bring joy to nearly all gods and men.