Abstract: In the 18th century, the compliment was a dramatic practice fashionable on the Parisian stage. The orator responsible for this codified rhetorical exercise solicited the indulgence of the audience and, through praise, encouraged its members to attend that season’s performances. From the 1730s onwards, fairground and Italian playwrights competed creatively to renew the compliment in order to highlight their repertoire and distinguish themselves from the competition.
