School of Modern Languages

Department of Italian Studies

THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE Unit code: 4/ IT/IR

Unit Convenor : Professor David Robey

Unit Tutors : Dr Paola Nasti, Professor David Robey, Dr Lisa Sampson

While the Part 2 Introduction to the Renaissance unit deals entirely with prose texts and focuses predominantly on , this unit casts its net wider geographically, covering aspects of the culture of the courts, and also in terms of genre. It deals with lyric poetry, narrative poetry, and drama, focusing especially on texts by some of Italy’s most influential authors, and considers a dialogue which played a very significant role in spreading Italian court culture into the rest of Europe.

1. and Petrarchism(10 hours). 2. Ariosto (10 hours) 3. Castiglione and court culture(10 hours) 4. Renaissance Comedy: Machiavelli and Bibbiena (10 hours)

The lyric poetry of Petrarch and Ariosto’s Orlando furioso became models for European literature almost immediately after their authors’ deaths. They also became objects of endless linguistic, rhetorical, and philosophical debate, and exercised a profound and lasting influence on European culture. Though less polemical, the comedies discussed played a vital role too in stimulating dramatic activities throughout Europe. The unit aims at introducing the texts and their analysis as well as discussing their significance in the more general context of Italian early Renaissance society and culture in Florence, , Venice and the courts of Northern and central Italy.

Petrarch (1304-1374), one of the greatest European poets, could be regarded as the founder of lyric love poetry as a literary genre. Most Renaissance poetry and even modern and contemporary poetry cannot be fully appreciated without reference to his language and imagery, and to his perception of the poet as an intellectual with the highest cultural and philosophical standing. The course will concentrate on Petrarch’s masterpiece, the Canzoniere, or Rerum Vulgarium Fragmenta, and also discuss the lyric tradition that followed him. Attention will be paid to poets such as Bembo, Vittoria Colonna, and Giovanni della Casa.

Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso (1532) is a narrative poem, drawing its subject matter from the medieval romances of the Arthurian and Carolingian tradition as well as from classical epic poetry, medieval love poetry, modern classics such as Dante and Petrarch, and popular literature. Probably the most striking characteristic of his endeavour is his extraordinary skill in harmonising the various literary sources of his work, and in concealing the amazing knowledge and refinement that lie behind it in order to produce one of the most entertaining narratives of world literature.

Castiglione’s Cortegiano (1528) is a dialogue which evokes a nostalgic picture of the court of Urbino. Its discussion on the formation and role of the accomplished courtier embraces many issues which were part of contemporary intellectual debate, including linguistic theories, ideas on women, and neo-Platonism, which had a profound impact on the love literature of the time.

Bibbiena’s Calandria (1513) and Machiavelli’s Mandragola (c. 1518) are amongst the earliest so- called regular comedies to be produced in Italy, that is, comedies modelled on classical examples. They are much more than direct imitations, though, drawing also on the more recent novella tradition, as well as a rich contemporary tradition of courtly festivities and performances. Both writers demonstrate a sophisticated appreciation of wit and comic techniques, and reflect the tastes and ideals of their elite audiences. Yet, much of the enduring appeal of these comedies lies in their irreverent challenge to social conventions such as class and gender, and particularly Machiavelli’s exploration of the subversive side to the genre.

Final examination format: three essays.

Contact hours 40 (AT - LT year 4) Number of essays: 2

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Coursework Students are required to write one essay per term. Essays on Autumn Term work are due by 4 pm on Tuesday 11 January 2005. Essays on Spring Term work are due by 4 pm on Thursday 17 March 2005. Please see the Department’s Final Year Handbook for the University's rules on late submission of work. Essays must be submitted to Mrs Whyte’s office (Room 70). They must be on paper and in duplicate: word-processing is strongly recommended, but we cannot accept essays in electronic form. When handing in essays, students must also sign a submission form for this piece of work, declaring that this is all their own work (please see the Final Year Handbook for the University's rules on plagiarism). Copies of this form are available in Room 70. Students should obtain a receipt for their essays.

SOME BACKGROUND READING P.O. Kristeller, Renaissance Thought (New York : Harper & Row, 1965) (190-KRI) G. Holmes, The Florentine Enlightenment (London : Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1969) (945.51-HOL) J.N.Stephens, The Italian Renaissance (London : Longman, 1990) (945.05-STE) Werner L. Gundersheimer, Ferrara : The style of a Renaissance despotism (1973), 945.45-GUN (Short Loan Collection) C.S. Lewis, The allegory of love : a study in medieval tradition (London : Oxford University Press, 1936) 808.1-LEW John Larner, Culture and society in Italy, 1290-1420 (London : Batsford, 1971) 945.05-LAR Hay, Denys and Law, John, Italy in the Age of the Renaissance 1380-1530 (London: Longman, 1989) 945.05-HAY Martines, Lauro, Power and imagination: city-states in Renaissance Italy (London: Allen Lane, 1980) 945.05-MAR Jill Kraye, ed., The Cambridge companion to Renaissance humanism (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996) – chapters by Warren Boutcher and M. L. McLaughlin 144-CAM Brand, Peter, and Pertile, Lino (eds.), ‘The Cinquecento’, in The Cambridge History of (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996); see the sections on ‘Prose’ (pp. 181-88; 203-212), ‘Narrative poetry, ‘lyric poetry’ and ‘theatre’ (pp. 277-86) 850.9-CAM

Reference sources J. R. Hale, Concise Enyclopedia of the Italian Renaissance (1995) – useful brief entries, time- lines 945.05-CON Encyclopedia of the Renaissance, ed. Paul F. Grendler, 6 vols. (New York: Scribner’s, 1999) [4th Floor Ref. – 940.21-ENC]

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SEMINARS, PRESENTATIONS AND COMMENTARIES A very brief guide to seminar and presentations

Prepare yourself: read the canto(s) more than once [it is good practice to read (if you haven’t already done so) also the canto preceding and following the one(s) you are going to discuss]. A second reading will allow you to note down details about the poet’s choices. Leave adequate time for reading, and consultation with the other members of your group. Define your aims and objectives: decide what the important issues are, what it is that you want to communicate to your audience, and how best to express it. Bear in mind the time limitations. Try to concentrate on important points. Aim not to describe but to explain the significance of the facts you are bringing to the attention of your audience. Interact with your audience: try not to read from a script but speak fluently and slowly about you ideas and points. Take your time, engage your audience, look at them, speak to them, ask questions (provide handouts or any material you think might help your audience). A good presentation should be able to stimulate topics for discussion and raise unresolved questions or problems. Organize your team and pace yourself: you might decide to elect a spokesperson or divide the material of your presentation among all the members or the team. Whatever your choice, pay attention to the time limits (25 minutes) and leave time for discussion.

A VERY BRIEF GUIDE ON HOW TO WRITE A COMMENTARY (Also useful for presentations)

· Organise your material in a revealing and principled way, i.e. § Providing an effective introduction and conclusion § Addressing important features and linking them together rather that simply moving through the passage line by line. · Clearly and accurately contextualise the passage · Assess the passage’s significance in the text as a whole · Show a good understanding of the passage’s content. Under no circumstances whatsoever should you simply summarise the passage. · Offer an appreciation of the passage’s style and language · Show a wider knowledge of the text by relating your remarks on content and form to the text as a whole · Use secondary material · Where relevant, show wider knowledge of the culture and the literature of the Middle Ages.

STUDENTS' RESPONSIBILITIES

· Students are required to read in advance those texts which are to be discussed in the lecture. Students are also required to read any associated material attentively, engaging in further reading. · English translations can be used, but ultimately students will have to show an understanding of the original text. Lectures and seminars will be based on the original, students are therefore required to bring a copy of the RVF in class. · Attendance during lectures and seminar sessions are compulsory and essential to a successful outcome. Students are required to participate actively in seminars, whether in discussion, by asking questions, or by giving properly prepared presentations.

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Ariosto: Orlando furioso

Autumn Term 2004

(Mondays at 12, Room 73): Prof. Robey

Week 1 General Introduction

Week 2 Historical and cultural background

Week 3 More background. The plot and its implications

Week 4 Discussion: Canto 1

Week 5 The figure of the author and addresses to the reader

Week 6 Themes

Week 7 Discussion: selected Canti

Week 8 Themes

Week 9 Discussion: selected Canti

Week 10 Conclusion and overview

Set text: Ariosto, Orlando furioso (any edition)

Canti for special study: 1-2, 11, 22-24, 28-29, 34, 39, 42

Critical Bibliography

Brand, C.P., Ludovico Ariosto: a preface to the 'Orlando furioso' , Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, 1974. 851.32-BRA (Short Loan Collection) Caretti, L., Ariosto e Tasso, Torino, 1961. 851.32-CAR Gardner, Edmund G., King of court poets : Ariosto (1906) (851.32-GAR ) Santoro, Mario, Ariosto e il Rinascimento, Napoli : Liguori, 1989. 851.32-SAN Sherberg, Michael, Rinaldo : character and intertext in Ariosto and Tasso, Saratoga, Calif. : Anma Libri, 1993. 851.46-SHE Cuccaro, Vincent, The humanism of Ludovico Ariosto, Ravenna : Longo, 1981. 851.32-CUC (Short Loan Collection) Binni, W., Ludovico Ariosto, 1968. 851.32-BIN Croce, Benedetto, Ludovico Ariosto, 1927. 851.32-CRO Hauvette, H., Ariosto et la poésie chevaleresque a Ferrare, 1927. 851.32-HAU

Essay titles

· Discuss the addresses to the reader in the Orlando furioso

· Discuss the treatment of love in the Orlando furioso

· Discuss the narrative technique and structure of the Orlando furioso

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Castiglione’s Il Cortegiano and court culture

Autumn Term 2004 Wednesday 12pm (Rm 73)

Dr Lisa Sampson

Week 1 Introductory Lecture: Italian Court Culture Homework: Cortegiano, 1, Letter to Don Michel de Silva, chs. 1-6

Week 2 Historical Background to Castiglione’s Cortegiano Homework: Prepare Cortegiano, 1, 24-27 for discussion

Week 3 Castiglione’s concepts of grazia, sprezzatura and the Golden Mean * Student presentation Homework: read Book I, 29-39 and Rebhorn (1981)

Week 4 The Question of Language Homework: read Cox (1992) and prepare passages for discussion

Week 5 Courtly performances and service of the prince (Book 2) * Student presentations Homework: read Book 3, 1-18

Week 6 Book 3: The Debate on Women Homework: prepare discussion questions on Book 3

Week 7 Discussion: Women and the Renaissance court Homework: summarize in c. 400 words Lawrence V. Ryan, ‘Book Four of Castiglione’s Courtier: Climax or Afterthought’, Studies in the Renaissance, 19 (1972), 156-79 [J-STOR-web]

Week 8 Book 4: Ethics and politics Homework: Prepare Bembo’s speech (Book IV, chs. 51-70) and summarize his view of the process of Platonic love (e.g. in bullet points or flow chart) See entries on ‘ and neo-Platonism’ and ‘Ficino’ in J. R. Hale

Week 9 Book 4: Neo-Platonism in the Cortegiano * Student presentation

Week 10 Concluding Discussion

Text

Any modern edition is acceptable, e.g. Ettore Bonora (ed.) Mursia 1972/1976

For useful comparison, see the 16th-century translation by Thomas Hoby, ed. by Virginia Cox (The Book of the Courtier, London: Dent, 1994) [854.33]

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Bibliography

Court culture

Anglo, Sydney, ‘The Courtier: The Renaissance and Changing Ideals’, in The Courts of Europe: Politics, Patronage and Royalty, 1400-1800, ed. A. G. Dickens (London, 1977) [FOLIO-940.2-DIC] Cole, Alison, ‘Arms and Letters: Urbino under Federico da Montefeltro’, in Virtue and Magnificence. Art of the Italian Renaissance Courts (New York: Persectives, 1995), pp. 67-92 – a fully illustrated introduction to the period just preceding Castiglione’s dialogue; see also introductory chapters (1-2) on courts Strong, Roy, Art and Power: Renaissance Festivals, 1450-1650 (London, 1973) [791.6-STR] Martines, Lauro, ‘The Gentleman in Renaissance Italy: Strains of Isolation in the Body Politic’, in R. S. Kinsman, ed., The Darker Vision of the Renaissance: Beyond the Field of Reason (Berkeley, 1974), 77-93 [940.21-KIN] Hollingsworth, Mary Patronage in Sixteenth-Century Italy (London, 1996) [706.992-HOL] - useful chapters on individual cultural centres Wiggins, Peter DeSa, Donne, Castiglione and the poetry of courtliness (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2000) [821.49.DONN/WIG]

Castiglione’s Cortegiano and the cultural background

Woodhouse, J. R., Baldesar Castiglione. A Reassessment of the Courtier (Edinburgh, 1978) [854.55-WOO] Burke, Peter, The Fortunes of the “Courtier” (Cambridge, 1995) - ch. 2 is useful for context and sources [854.33-BUR] Cox, Virginia, ‘Castiglione’s Cortegiano: the dialogue as a drama of doubt’, in The Renaissance Dialogue. Literary Dialogue in its Social and Political Contexts, Castiglione to Galileo (Cambridge, 1992), see also chs 1-4 on the dialogue form and its usage [850.902- COX] Bonadeo, A., ‘The Function and purpose of the Courtier’, Philological Quarterly, 50 (1971), 36-46 [PERIODICAL 805] Quondam, Amedeo, Questo povero cortegiano: Castiglione, il libro, la storia (Rome: Bulzoni, 2000) [854.33-QUO] Ossola, C., and Prosperi, Adriano, ed., La corte e il Cortegiano, 2 vols (Rome: Bulzoni, 1980) [854.33-COR] Shearman, John, Mannerism (London, 1967) [709.03.SHE] Bernard, John D., ‘“Formiamo un cortegian”: Castiglione and the Aims of Writing’, MLN, 115 (2000) [PERIODICAL-805 1995; and J-STOR]

Courtly performances and self-fashioning

Rebhorn, W., Courtly Performances. Masking and Festivity in the “Courtier” (Detroit, 1978) [854.33-REB] Saccone, E., Le buone e le cattive maniere: letteratura e galateo nel Cinquecento (, 1992) – several useful essays [850.903- SAC] Anglo, Sydney, ‘Humanism and the Court Arts’, in A. Goodman and A. Mackay, eds, The Impact of Humanism on Western Europe (London, 1990) [[144-IMP] Greenblatt, Stephen J., Renaissance Self-fashioning: From More to Shakespeare (Chicago, 1980) [820.903-GRE] Monk, Samuel Holt, ‘A Grace Beyond the Reach of Art’, Journal of the History of Ideas, 5 (1944), 131-50 [PERIODICAL-105 1996; downloadable from J-STOR] Thomas, Ben, ‘The art consists of hiding the art: Castiglione and Raphael’, in Antonella Braida and Giuliana Pieri (eds.), Image and word: reflections of art and literature

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from the Middle Ages to the Present (Oxford EHRC, 2003) [701.17-IMA] Falvo, Joseph D., ‘Urbino and the Apotheosis of Power’, MLN, 101: 1 (1986), 114-146 [PERIODICAL-805 1995; and J-STOR] Lanham, Richard A., ‘The Self as Middle Style: “Cortegiano”’, in The Motives of Eloquence (New Haven, 1976)[808-LAN] Cavallo, JoAnn, ‘Joking Matters: Politics and Dissimulation in Castiglione’s Book of the Courtier’, Renaissance Quarterly 53: 2 (2000), 402-24 [PERIODICAL 805-1999; and accessible on J-STOR]

The Questione della lingua debate (Book 1)

Hall, Robert A., Jr., ‘The Italian Questione Della Lingua. An Interpretative Essay’, Studies in Romance Languages and Literature, 4 (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 1942); 1-66; a useful overview [450.9-HAL] Migliorini, Bruno, The Italian Language, revised by T. Gwynfor Griffith (London: Faber and Faber, 1984) [450.9-MIG] Pozzi, Mario, ed., Discussioni linguistiche del’500 (Turin, 1988) [450-9-DIS] Rebhorn, Wayne A., ‘The Enduring Word: Language, Time and History in Il Libro del Cortegiano’, MLN, 96:1 (1981), 23-40 [PERIODICAL –805 1995; and J-STOR]

The Debate on Women (Book 3)

King, Margaret L., Women of the Renaissance (Chicago, 1991); a useful general introduction to attitudes towards women in the Renaissance, see esp. Ch. 3 [396.0942-KIN] Weisner, Merry E., Women and Gender in Early Modern Europe (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993), pp. 15-21 on the debate on women; 137-43 on women at court Benson, Pamela J., The Invention of the Renaissance Woman: The Challenge of Female Independence in the Literature and thought of Italy and England (University Park, PA, 1992) - see ch. 3 for discussion on Castiglione [820.903. BEN] Saccaro Battisti, G., ‘La donna, le donne nel Cortegiano’, in La corte e il “Cortegiano”. La scena del testo, ed. C. Ossola (Rome, 1980), vol. 1, 219-50 Zancan, Marina, ‘La donna e il cerchio nel Cortegiano di B. Castiglione: le funzioni del femminile nel’immagine di corte’, in Nel cerchio della luna: figure di donna in alcuni testi del XVI secolo, ed. Marina Zancan (Venice: Marsilio, 1983), 13-56 [850.903-NEL] Finucci, Valeria, ‘La donna di corte: discorso istituzionale e realtà nel Libro del Cortegiano’, Annali d’Italianistica 7 (1989), 88-103 [PERIODICAL 850.5] Kelso, Ruth, ‘The Lady at Court’, in Doctrine for the lady of the Renaissance (Urbana, 1956) [396.094021-KEL] Maclean, Ian, The Renaissance Notion of Woman (Cambridge University Press, 1980) [396.9–MAC] – the intellectual background to attitudes towards women Jordan, Constance, Renaissance Feminism. Literary Texts and Political Models (Cornell University Press, 1990) Knox, Dilwyn, ‘Civility, courtesy and women in the Italian Renaissance’, in Letizia Panizza, ed., Women in Italian Renaissance Culture and Society (Oxford EHRC, 2000) see lecturer

Neoplatonism and Bembo’s speech (Book 4)

Woodhouse, J. R., ‘Book IV of Castiglione’s “Courtier” – A pragmatic approach’, Modern Language Review 74 (1979), 62-68 [PERIODICAL-805] Ryan, Lawrence V., ‘Book IV of Castiglione’s “Courtier” – Climax or Afterthought?’, Studies in the Renaissance, 19 (1972), 156-79 [PERIODICAL-805 1998;

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downloadable from J-STOR] Rebhorn, Wayne A., ‘Ottaviano’s Interruptions: Book IV and the Problem of Unity in Il libro del Cortegiano’, Modern Language Notes [MLN] 87 (1972), 37-59 [PERIODICAL – 805 1995; and J-STOR] Floriani, Pietro, ‘Dall’amore cortese all’amor divino’, in Bembo e Castiglione. Studi sul classicismo del Cinquecento (Rome: Bulzoni, 1976); 169-177 [851-31-FLO] Zorzi Pugliese, Olga, ‘Variations on Ficino’s De Amore: The Hymns to Love by Benivieni and Castiglione’, in Ficino and Renaissance Neoplatonism, ed. by Konrad Eisenbicler and Olga Zorzi Pugliese (Canada, 1986); 113-21 [195-FIC/FIC] Copenhaver, Brian P. and Schmitt, Charles B., ‘Platonism’, in Renaissance Philosophy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992); 127-195 [190-COP] Kristeller, ‘Renaissance Platonism’, in Renaissance Thought and Its Sources, ed. Michael Mooney (New York, 1979): 50-65 [190-KRI] Hankins, James, Plato in the Italian Renaissance, 2 vols (Leiden, 1990) - a very detailed historical study of the reception and interpretation of Plato in the fifteenth century, [195-HAN]

ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. To what extent can Castiglione’s Cortegiano be described as providing a verbal portrait of the court of Urbino?

2. Discuss the various levels at which the concept of sprezzatura underpins Castiglione’s Cortegiano.

3. Evaluate the representation and roles of court women with respect to their male counterparts in the Cortegiano.

4. ‘Love in its various manifestations provides the single theme able to unify the diversity of the four books of the dialogue’. Discuss this assertion with reference to Castiglione’s Cortegiano.

5. Discuss the view that the Cortegiano represents a largely idealistic view of court life and service, betraying little evidence of real political or moral anxieties.

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Comedy

Spring Term 2005 Wednesday 12pm (Rm 73)

Dr Lisa Sampson

* Required pre-course reading: comedies by Bibbiena and Machiavelli

Week 1 Introduction: Thinking about Comedy Homework: Read Andrews (1993) extract

Week 2 Sources and Contexts Homework: worksheet on Terence and Plautus

Week 3 Discussion: Structure and themes in Roman drama Homework: Prepare Boccaccio’s Calandrino novelle (see below)

Week 4 Introduction to Bibbiena’s La Calandria Homework: Prepare discussion passages (handout)

Week 5 Student discussion: Calandria - text in performance Homework: Prepare outline of points in Maggie Günsberg, Gender and the Italian Stage: from the Renaissance to the present day (1997), ch. 2 Read Boccaccio, Decameron, II. 9

Week 6 Playing with gender in La Calandria Homework: Prepare article on Machiavelli’s Mandragola (handout)

Week 7 Introduction to Machiavelli’s Mandragola Homework: Read Fleisher article (1966)

Week 8 Politics and morality in Mandragola Homework: Prepare Ronald L. Martinez article (1983)

Week 9 Seminar discussion: “Doctor” Callimaco and the Mandrake root Homework: Prepare exam style questions

Week 10 Conclusion and overview

Set Texts

Renaissance Comedy Ÿ Bernardo Dovizi (“Bibbiena”), La Calandria (ed. G. Davico Bonino, Einaudi, 1967) Ÿ Niccolò Machiavelli, La Mandragola (in Machiavelli, Teatro. Andria Mandragola Clizia, ed. Davico Bonino, Einaudi, 2001) Ÿ Castiglione, Il Cortegiano, II, 42-95 (discussion on humour) Ÿ Boccaccio, Decameron, VIII.3, VIII.6, IX.3, IX.5 (Calandrino tales); II. 9

See also the very useful introduction (pp. vii-lxxv) and appendices in G. Davico Bonino, ed., Il teatro italiano. II. La Commedia del Cinquecento, I (Turin, 1977-8) [852.308-DAV T.1]

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Roman Comedy

Ÿ Plautus, Menaechmi (The Brothers Menaechmi), in The Pot of Gold and Other Plays, transl. by E. F. Watling (Penguin, 1967) [872.3] Ÿ Terence, Andria (The Woman of Andros), in The Woman of Andros; The self-tormentor; The eunuch, ed. and transl. by John Barsby, Loeb Classical Library (Cambridge, Mass., London, 2001) 870.8-LOE/TER

Bibliography

Theory on comedy

Palmer, D.J., ed., Comedy: Developments in Criticism: a casebook (London: Macmillan, 1984) [809.7-COM] Bakhtin, Mikhail, Rabelais and his World [1965], transl. by Hélène Iswolsky (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1984) [847.32-BAK] Freud, Sigmund, Wit and its relation to the Unconscious [1916], transl. and ed. by James Strachey; new ed. by Angela Richards (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1976) [131.3462- FRE] Gurewitch, M., Comedy: The Irrational Vision, 1975 [809.7-GUR] Pollard, Arthur, Satire (London: Methuen, 1970) [SLC. 809.908-CRI/7] Nelson, T.J.A., Comedy: an introduction to the theory of comedy in literature, drama, and cinema (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990) [809.93-NEL] Levin, Harry, Playboys and killjoys: an essay on the theory and practice of comedy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987) [809.7-LEV]

Classical Comedy

Hunter, R.C., The New Comedy of Greece and Rome (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985) [882-HUN] Goldberg, Sander M., Understanding Terence (Princeton, N. J.: Princeton University Press, 1985) [882-HUN] Beacham, Richard C., The Roman Theatre and its Audience (London: Routledge, 1991) [792.0937-BEA] Moore, Timothy J., The theatre of Plautus: playing to the audience (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1998) [872.3-MOO] – for character types Henderson, John, Writing down Rome: Satire, comedy, and other offences in Latin poetry (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1999) [877-HEN]

Renaissance comedy: surveys

Herrick, M. T., Italian Comedy in the Renaissance (Urbana, 1960) – includes short sections on each of the plays and provides a concise overview [852.4-HER] Radcliff-Umstead, Douglas, The Birth of Modern Comedy in Renaissance Italy (Chicago, 1969) – similarly, introduces plays and themes [852.09-UMS] Zorzi, Ludovico, et al. (eds.), Il teatro del Cinquecento: i luoghi, i testi e gli attori (Florence: Sansoni, 192) [792.0945-ZOR] ——— Il teatro e la città: saggi sulla scena italiana (Turin, 1977) [792.0945-ZOR] Panizza Lorch, Maristella de, Il teatro italiano del Rinascimento (Milan, 1980) – various useful essays in English and Italian [792.0945-TEA] Guidotti, Angela, Il modello e la trasgressione: commedie del primo ‘500 (Rome: Bulzoni, 1983) [852.3-GUI]

Bibbiena

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D’Amico, Jack, ‘Drama and the court in La Calandria’, Theatre Journal, 43 (1991): 93-106 [BULM. PERIODICAL – 792.05] Guidotti, Angela, ‘Il doppio gioco della Calandria’, Modern Language Notes [MLN], 104 (1989), 98-116 [PERIODICAL – 805 1995; and J-STOR] Ferroni, Giulio, Il testo e la scena: saggi sul teatro del Cinquecento (Rome, 1980); 60-98 [852.3-FER] Ruffini, Franco, Commedia e festa nel Rinascimento: la “Calandria” alla corte di Urbino (Bologna, 1986) Günsberg, Maggie, Gender and the Italian Stage: from the Renaissance to the present day (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997), chs. 1-2 [BULM. 852.09-GUN] Jardine, Lisa, ‘Twins and travesties. Gender, dependency and sexual availability in Twelfth Night’, in Susan Zimmerman, Erotic Politics: Desire and the Renaissance Stage (New York and London, 1992); 27-38 – useful as comparative reading [822.3-ERO]

*See also general bibliography on courts from Castiglione

Machiavelli

Ferroni, Giulio, ‘“Transformation” and “Adaptation” in Machiavelli’s Mandragola’ [1972], in Ascoli, A.R., and Kahn, ed., Machiavelli and the Discourse of Literature (Cornell UP, 1993; 81-116 [854.31-MAC] Fido, Franco, ‘Politica e teatro nel badalucco de Messer Nicia’, in Le metamorfosi del centauro: Studi e letture da Boccaccio a Pirandello (Rome, 1977); 91-108 [850.9-FID] Fleisher, M., ‘Trust and Deceit in Machiavelli’s comedies’, Journal of the History of Ideas, XXVII (1966): 365-80 [PERIODICAL-105 1996; and on J-STOR] Martinez, Ronald L., ‘The Pharmacy of Machiavelli: Roman Lucretia in Mandragola’, Renaissance Drama, 14 (1983) [PERIODICAL – 809.2] O’Brien, Mary, ‘The Root of the Mandrake: Machiavelli and Manliness’, Reproducing the World: Essays in Feminist Theory, 1989; 103-132 See lecturer Perocco, Daniela, ‘Il rito finale della Mandragola’, Lettere Italiane, 25/4 (1973), 531-6 [PERIODICAL-850.5] Pitkin, Hanna, Fortune is a Woman: Gender and Politics in the Thought of Niccolò Machiavelli (Berkeley/London 1984) [321.6-MAC/PIT] Raimondi, Ezio, ‘Il veleno della Mandragola’, in Politica e commedia dal Beroaldo al Machiavelli (Bologna, 1972); 253-264 (+ 141-286) [52.3-RAI] Shiesari, Julia, ‘Libidinal Economies: Machiavelli and Fortune’s Rape’, in Desire in the Renaissance: Psychoanalysis and Literature, ed. Valeria Finucci and Regina Schwarz (Princeton N.J., 1994); 169-83 [820.903 DES] – shows symbolic function of sexual encounters in Machiavelli’s writings Sullivan, Vickie B., The Comedy and Tragedy of Machiavelli: essays on the literary works (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2000) [854.31-COM] Sumberg, T.A., ‘La Mandragola - An Interpretation, Journal of Politics, 23: 2 (1961), 320-40 [320-40 PERIODICAL – 320.5 1998-] Tylus, Jane, ‘Theatre and its social uses: Machiavelli’s Mandragola and the spectacle of infamy’, Renaissance Quarterly, 53 (2000), 665-86 [PERIODICAL – 805 1998-]

Essay Questions

1. Discuss the view that, in keeping with comic conventions, the characters in Machiavelli’s Mandragola lack emotional or moral depth; they should be read, rather, as ‘social and psychological types’ (R. Andrews).

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2. To what extent is it justifiable to describe the Calandria as a ‘nova commedia’ (Castiglione)?

3. Consider the dramatic possibilities that characters presented as ‘outsiders’ or foreigners bring to the comedies of Machiavelli and “Bibbiena”.

4. ‘The richest vein of humour in Renaissance comedy stems from the witty use and the abuses of language.’ Evaluate this assertion with reference to TWO comedies.

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Petrarch and Petrarchism Sping Term 2005 Tutor: Dr Paola Nasti

COURSE OUTLINE

Familiarise yourself with the programme and pay attention to all lectures and seminars content. A reading task has been set for most of the lectures and seminars. Please make sure you read the prescribed cantos before your class. SEMINARS: The class will be divided into study groups, each of which will be expected to organize its own learning activities and to provide a forum for the discussion of the set topics. Each group will be assigned one seminar, with the exception of Seminar 1, which will be shared by all groups. The groups will arrange to meet in order to prepare for a oral presentation. Pool your thoughts on the topic in question, organise them in some coherent manner, formulate any unresolved problems you wish to raise, and appoint a spokesperson if you wish. The topics generally concentrate on the analysis of a number of texts, but this should ultimately serve as the basis for the discussion of broader issues. NB: for more help on how to prepare a seminar see ‘Guidelines’ on pp. 5-6.

Week Lecture 1 Introduction to the course. Historical background. Petrarch as the Poet of Modernity. The Book of Poetry as Canzoniere Week Lecture 2 Laura’s myth Reading task: RVF 3, 5, 52 Week Lecture 3 Rerum Vulgarium Fragmenta. The structure. Reading task RVF 1, 34-35, 60-62, 118, 267 Week Lecture 4 Rerum Vulgarium Fragmenta. Language 1. Reading task: RVF XXXIV, XXXV, LX-LXII, XC, CXXVI, CXXXIV, CCLXIV, CCLXVII Week Seminar 1 5 Rerum Vulgarium Fragmenta. Language 2. Class activity: All study groups to discuss commentary on selected lyrics: RVF XXXIV, XXXV, LX-LXII, XC, CXXVI, CXXXIV, CCLXIV, CCLXVII Week Lecture 6 Petrarch’s Readers (1). Petrarchism: from Experimentation to Canon. Particular attention will be paied to Bembo and the principle of imitation

Week Seminar 2 7 Petrarch’s Readers (2). Introduction to Michelangelo’ poetry. Class Activity: Reading of Michelangelo’s La notte Week Lecture 8 Petrarch’s Readers (3). Women as Subjects of Poetry. Vittoria Colonna’s Rime. Week Lecture 9 Petrarch’s Readers (4a). Giovanni Della Casa’s Rime: Structure. Reading task: Rime 1, 6, 8, 47 Week Seminar 3 10 Petrarch’s Readers (4b). Class activity: Study group 2 to discuss the following topic: Giovanni Della Casa’s Rime as a System of Codified Meaning. Reading and

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Commentary of 54, 63, 64, and 83 (from Rime extravaganti).

PRESCRIBED TEXTS

Petrarca Students are required to have a good knowledge of Francesco Petrarca’s Rerum Vulgarium Fragmenta (better known as Canzoniere and often referred to as RFV): F. Petrarca, Il Canzoniere, a cura di G. Contini e D. Ponchiroli (Torino: Einaudi, 1964). 851.18 Students must be very familiar with the following selection of lyrics: 1, 3, 5, 11, 12, 16, 23, 32, 34-36, 52, 60-62, 70, 81, 90, 96, 118, 126, 129, 132, 134, 145, 159, 160, 192, 213, 229, 234, 264, 267, 272, 279, 290, 310, 320, 326, 336, 366.

Bembo P. Bembo, Prose e rime, a cura di C. Dionisotti (Torino: Unione Tipografico-Editrice Torinese, 1966), with an excellent introduction to the author and his work which students should read. 851.31 and seminar room

Colonna V. Colonna, Rime, a cura di A. Bullock (Bari: Laterza, 1982). 851.39 COL A. Brundin, “Vittoria Colonna and the Virgin Mary”, Modern Language Review, 96 (2001), pp. 61-81. Periodical Ead., “Vittoria Colonna and the Poetry of Reform”, Italian Studies, LVII (2002), pp. 61-74. Periodical

Michelangelo Michelangelo, Rime, a cura di M. Residori (Milano, 1998). 851.39-MIC Michelangelo, The poems, edited and translated by C. Ryan (London, 1996). 851.39-MIC Michelangelo,The poetry of Michelangelo, translated by J. M. Saslow, (New Haven ; London, 1991). 851.39-MIC

Della Casa G. Della Casa, Rime, a cura di R. Fedi (Milano: Bur, 1993). (851.38)

Bibliography

Bear in mind that most relevant critical works tend to be written in Italian. Do not discriminate on a linguistic basis! Students should read, as a preliminary survey, the editor’s introductions to the relevant poems from the collections of poetry listed above.

Petrarch

G. Billanovich, Petrarca letterato. Lo scrittoio del Petrarca (Rome, 1947). 851.18-BIL

M. O'R. Boyle, Petrarch's genius : pentimento and prophecy (Berkeley, 1991). 851.18-BOY

V. Caratozzolo and G. Güntert, Petrarca ei suoi lettori (Ravenna, 2000). 851.18 PET

E. Fenzi, Saggi Petrarcheschi (Fiesole-Firenze, 2003). 851.18-FEN

K. Foster, Petrarch the Poet and Humanist (Edinburgh, 1984) (refers to P.’s life and philosophy, but has a long central chapter on yhe Canzoniere). 851.18-FOS

P. Hainworth, Petrarch the poet (London, 1988). 851.18-HAI

N. Mann, Petrarch (Oxford, 1984). 851.18-MAN

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G. Mazzotta, The Worlds of Petrarch, (Durham and London, 1993). 851.18-MAZ

M. Santagata, I frammenti dell'anima : storia e racconto nel Canzoniere di Petrarca (Bologna, 1992). 851.18-SAN

M. Santagata, Amate e amanti : figure della lirica amorosa fra Dante e Petrarca (Bologna, 1999). 851.15-SAN

Petrarchism

L. Baldacci, Il petrarchismo italiano nel Cinquecento (Milan, 1957) 851.18 BAL

N. Borsellino and M. Aurigemma, Il Cinquecento: dal Rinascimento alla Controriforma (Roma-Bari, 1973). 850.903 CIN

V. Branca (Editor), Dizionario critico della letteratura italiana (Torino, 1973). 850.3 BRA and seminar room. Especially the entries “Petrarca”, “Petrarchismo” and entries on individual poets.

V. Caratozzolo and G. Güntert, Petrarca ei suoi lettori (Ravenna, 2000). 851.18 PET 851.18 PET

C. Dionisotti, “” in Dizionario biografico degli italiani (Roma, 1960). Reference Floor

R. Fedi, La memoria della poesia. Canzonieri, lirici e libri di rime nel Rinascimento (Roma, 1990.) 851.4 FED

L. Forster, The Icy Fire: Five Studies in European Petrarchism (Cambridge, 1969). 809.1 FOR

J. R. Hale (Ed.), A Concise Encyclopaedia of the Italian Renaissance (London, 1981). See Especially entries on Petrarch and on Critical Theory of Literature. 945.05 CON

W. J. Kennedy, The site of Petrarchism : Early Modern National Sentiment in Italy, France, and England (Baltimore, 2003)

M.L. McLaughlin, Literary imitation in the Italian Renaissance: the theory and practice of literary imitation in Italy from Dante to Bembo (Oxford, 199). 850.901-MAC

J. Mirollo, Mannerism and renaissance Poetry. Concept, Mode, Inner design (London, 1984) 809.1 MIR

C. Mutini, L’autore e l’opera. Saggi sulla letteratura italiana del Cinquecento (Rome, 1963). (Essays on Petrarch, Petrarchism and Berni). 850.903 MUT

Representations of the self from the Renaissance to Romanticism, edited by P. Coleman, J. Lewis, and J. Kowalik (Cambridge, 2000). 809-REP

A. Sole, Antonino, Il gentiluomo-cortigiano nel segno del Petrarca : modelli sociali e modelli etico- retorici in quattro autori del Cinquecento : Castiglione, Berni, Bembo, Della Casa (Palermo, 1992). 850.903-SOL

N. J. Vickers, “Diana Described: Scattered Woman and Scattered Rhyme”, in Elizabeth Abel, ed. Writing and Sexual Difference (Chicago, 1982), pp. 94-109. 809.8-WRI

E.H. Wilkins, “A General Survey of Renaissance Petrarchism”, Comparative Literature, 2 (1950): 327-42. Periodical

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Metrics:

T. W. Elwert, Versificazione italiana dalle origini ai giorni nostri (Bologna,1973). 456-ELW G. Beltrami, La metrica italiana (Bologna, 1992). 456-BEL

Poetry:

A. Preminger and T.V.F.Brogan, eds., The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, Princeton University Press, 1993 [s.v. Love Poetry, pp. 705-710] 3RD FLOOR REFERENCE-- 809.103-PRI 1 as well as 809.103-PRI

COURSEWORK

Course work will involve 1 essay, which count towards the Final result. The essay should be no longer than 3000 words. If you have any difficulty over submission, or require any advice, please come and see me well in advance of the deadline.

ESSAY TOPICS

1. Analyse the treatment of human and religious love in the Canzoniere 2. Discuss the role and function of the female signifier in the Canzoniere and in Petrarchist poetry. 3. “A Petrarchist text is more than a slavish imitation or formulaic reproduction of a prestigious Italian model”. Discuss, with reference to at least one Renaissance poet of your choice.

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