Late medieval oratory had been syllogistic rather than persuasive. When eulogizing a prince, the late medieval orator might enunciate a them taken from Scripture about the greatness of princes and then demonstrate that the dead lord possessed greatness. The medieval orator presented a logical, deductive proof; he tried to convince through reaons rather than move the emotions. The other orations (besides Vergerio's) at Carrara's funeral lacked stylistic ornamentation but added many appeals to authority. In other words, a clear theme, syllogistic reasoning, limited attention paid to style, and an appeal to authorities characterized the late medieval oration. Classical form, the use of ancient rhetorical figures, concentration on style, an attempt to move the listener, and a call to civic action--all these identified the Renaissance oration.
Probably studying the shifts in style of speeches would reveal much about different cultures thoughts on emotions.
And on a completely different tack, misogyny thrives in America:
From Fox News
or
From Pharyngula
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