This paper traces Machiavelli's debt to classical rhetoric while outlining the rhetorical tenor of his comedy, "Mandragola." The paper specifically analyzes Machiavelli's attention to the medieval transmission of Ciceronian rhetoric by Boethius, as interpreted from the setting, characterization, and dialogue of "Mandragola." The conclusion addresses critical problems posed by Machiavelli's "reactionary" view of the roles that rhetoric and dialectic should play in Renaissance discourse. (FL)