ABSTRACT
The author outlines the Proleptic Suite, a taxonomy of rhetorical strategies often conflated under the figure of prolepsis, or those figures concerned with anticipation. Three subtypes of prolepsis are outlined to provide conceptual clarity to the distinct suasive strategies used to anticipate and refute arguments, for foreshadowing, or to presage a future time. Other forms of prolepsis are distinguished, including grammatical forms and Stoic prolepses. In addition to some historical characterization of the figure’s travels over two millennia, the rhetorical deployments of it are analyzed to explicate its capacity to induce a persuasive effect.
