After metaphor, hyperbole was the most discussed trope in the Renaissance rhetorical manuals probably because it was abundantly used in the literature of that period, both in drama and poetry. This trope, which was considered to be an extended form of metaphor (cf. Aristotle, Quintilian), challenges decorum, i.e. the balance between style and content, and distorts the truth. An example of the manipulation of truth is Ralegh’s poetry and epistolary writing that employ hyperboles for political flattery of Queen Elizabeth. Hyperbole, one of the major instruments of rhetorical amplification, fulfilled several functions: (1) it expressed an exaggerated idea or action, (2) it created alienation and challenged the credibility of the dramatic character, and (3) it produced stylistic shock and generated wonder.