Countryman Vs Courtier

In Breton’s the Court and Country, we are witness to a passionate debate between two men from different walks of life. Both the Courtier and the Countryman list the fantastic qualities of their home, while rebuking that of the other’s. The crux of Courtier’s argument is that the city brings joy and a higher quality of life: “[. . .] for knowledge, we have . . . the deciphering of characters [. . .] which are such delights of the spirit [. . .]” (Breton 374-375). While the Countryman argues that the idealistic simplicity of the country allows an individual to find peace: “[. . .] fear God, be true to the crown, keep the laws, pay scot and lot, breed no quarrels, do no wrongs, and labor all we may to have peace, both with God and man” (Breton 375). Both the Courtier and the Countryman successfully argue the merits of their relative locations. …show more content…
It is almost as if the Courtier is a man born in the country that chose to live in the court; while the Countryman was trained in the court, but has chosen to return to the country. Indeed, with all the additional colour and knowledge that the Courtier claims to have over the Countryman, he completely fails to use that to his advantage. The Countryman uses just as fancy of language as the Courtier, invokes just as impressive of analogy, and demonstrates an understanding of religion reserved for educated men. This portrayal of a debate about city and country, on equal footing, can be contrasted against the exchange between Corin and Touchstone in 3.2 of Shakespeare’s As You Like It. Touchstone and Corin’s interaction demonstrates a level of accuracy that Breton’s characters fail to demonstrate. Touchstone is an educated man that is able to use his knowledge to dance circles around the simple and materialistic