Why would Rhetoric gain prominence at the beginning of the Renaissance?

– Rhetoric in the renaissance was valued differently than it was in the medieval and Greek/Roman time periods. The world had evolved in many ways and rhetoric–now more established–was used as more of a tool to gain skills to societal and real-world success. Unlike the themes of why rhetoric was popular in Greece and Rome–access to education, the art of persuasion, etc.–now rhetoric serves as the tool to political power, to proper social skills, and other ways of achieving skills in society. The Renaissance rhetoricians always had an appreciation for and knowledge of those who taught rhetoric in Athens and Rome–often teaching their methods.

Why do we (21st century scholars) explain why we observe a greater appreciation for the Greek Sophists during the 1st half of the Renaissance?

– The Renaissance, from its beginning, made many references to the previous rhetoric in Greece and Rome. Through the teaching of letter writing, speech in the public form, and humanism through the lens of “classical tradition”, the rhetoricians of the Renaissance wanted to pay respect to those who came before them. A large part of rhetoric in Greece is due to the Sophists and their impact on the subject at that time. Humanism believed strongly that it is necessary to imitate the speech and demeanor of those who speak well–just as the Sophists believed in developing through practice.