Captatio benevolentiae
The Latin term Captatio benevolentiae ( German: " Erheischen of benevolence " ) refers to a commonly used since ancient rhetorical figure.
At the beginning of a text, the author uses flattering words directly to his reader and asks him why, friendly to accept the following. In the ancient practice, the captatio benevolentiae appeared most frequently in connection with the spoken word, about the beginning of a speech or a play. It can therefore also be interpreted as an elaborate form of " To Serenity begging " towards the listening audience.
In less sophisticated form include captatio - benevolentiae -like flourishes to this day the standard repertoire of every speech. In the theater there was still a long tradition as a prefix to the beginning of the actual stage plot a prologue, as the author of longer prose occasionally turns first to the " gentle reader ".
In a broader sense is benevolentiae any formula to obtain the benevolence understood Captatio the audience, especially ingratiation and flattery.
Examples
" The State Quirites, and your all life, wealth, prosperity, your wives and children, and this seat of the glorious empire, this highly delighted and wonderful city see at the present day, by the exalted love of the immortal gods for you, by my efforts, advice and passed from me hazards of fire and sword, almost torn from the jaws of fate, saved and given to you again. "
"A pair of star - cross'd lovers take Their life Whole piteous overthrows misadventured Do With Their death bury Their parents ' strife. The fearful passage of Their death- mark'd love, And the continuance of Their parents ' rage, Which, but Their children 's end, naught Could remove, Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; The Which if you with patient ears attend, What Shall here miss, our toil Shall strive to mend. "
" Trusting in the good reception and respect which Ew. Excellence proves all products in the literature, as a prince who is inclined to favor the fine arts, especially those who by their nobility not condescend to services and greed of the mob, I am committed to the ingenious noble Don Quixote of La Mancha to have come to the light, under the umbrellas of Ew. Excellence glorious name, which I with the awe that I 'm your size guilty, please, him sympathetically incorporated into your protection, so that he under this cover if it equal the beautiful ornament of elegance and erudition lacking, usually to hold the works maintains that are written in the homes of learned men, yet boldly before the judgment seat of some dare to appear, which is not retained within the limits of their ignorance, cultivate with much rigor and less justice to condemn others'; because if Ew. Excellence direct your bright insight on my good intention, you will, I hope, do not disdain the littleness of so slight a service. "
" At Your Excellency Mr. NN, the real readers of this book. Copenhagen, in August 1843 My dear readers! Forgive me, that I speak so familiarly to you, but we're among us. Although you are namely a poetic person, but you are to me by no means a majority, but only one, so we're just you and me. If one were to assume that anyone who does not read a book from the one or the other random, the book itself relevant reason is only an improper reader, so maybe not many actual readers remain even for those authors whose readers world is very numerous; for whom it falls in our time, to waste a moment on the droll thought it was an art to be a good reader, let alone to use time out to be there? (...) "
" First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world .. "