Vince, Máté (2013) From 'aequivocatio' to the 'Jesuitical equivocation' : changing concepts of ambiguity in early modern England. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This thesis is an exploration of ambiguity in rhetoric, dialectic, religio-political
writing and literature in Early Modern England. It examines the ways in which the
attitudes to ambiguity were formed in Early Modern England, with a focus on the
development of ideas about the so-called ‘Jesuitical equivocation’ or ‘mental
reservation’, a special case of ambiguity.
In late sixteenth century England, hiding Catholic priests sought a way of
defending Catholics from what they perceived as unjust persecution. They believed
to have found a solution in the doctrine of equivocation, according to which it is
justifiable to deceive one’s questioner by giving replies that the examiner is likely to
misunderstand because they are phrased ambiguously, or because the speaker
qualifies his/her words by a restriction only spoken within themselves, specifying
what he means only to his own conscience and God.
The thesis first explores the ways in which ambiguity occurred in sixteenth
century education (by looking at Aristotle, Cicero, the Rhetorica ad Herennium,
Quintilian, Servius, Melanchthon and John Case) to argue that the doctrine of mental
reservation is grounded in the Classical and Renaissance rhetorical and dialectical
tradition. In my second chapter I examine how the doctrine evolved from its first
statement in 1584 by Doctor Navarrus, through the Casuistical tradition to Henry
Garnet’s infamous A treatise of equivocation. The third chapter is devoted to the
controversy between the Protestant Thomas Morton and the Catholic Robert Persons,
who debate whether equivocation is a justifiable evasion, or a simple lie.
The second part attempts to demonstrate that the obvious mistrust in ambiguity,
usually seen as the effect of the trial of the Gunpowder Plotters and the ensuing anti-
Jesuit propaganda, is in fact rooted more deeply in Renaissance culture. The fourth
chapter explores Sidney’s Arcadia, and the ways in which prophecies, the princes’
disguises, and misunderstood speeches become indicators of the limitations of human
understanding. The fifth chapter on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night concentrates on
how conveying or concealing a message and understanding or misunderstanding the
speaker’s intention can be seen as acts of exercising power. Finally, a reading of
Macbeth explores the ethics of deception, by looking at the instances of deceit that
result from ambiguous language, employed by and against Macbeth.
To demonstrate the parallels between religio-political discourse and literature, the
thesis looks at common assumptions about how meaning is produced, conveyed,
understood, misunderstood, or allowed to be misunderstood.

Item Type:	Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BT Doctrinal Theology P Language and Literature > P Philology. Linguistics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Ambiguity -- Political aspects -- England -- History -- 16th century, Rhetoric -- England -- History -- 16th century, Deception -- England -- History -- 16th century, Deception in literature, Theology, Doctrinal -- England -- History -- 16th century
Official Date:	May 2013
Dates:	Date Event May 2013 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Mack, Peter, 1955-
Sponsors:	Warwick Postgraduate Research Scholarship
Extent:	vi, 315 leaves.
Language:	eng

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