Boccaccian background in some characters of the Renaissance comedy

Authors

  • Antonio Stäuble Università di Losanna

Abstract

This article examines two groups of characters in several Renaissance comedies that do not stem from the traditional models of Plautus and Terence, intellectuals and female characters, who show many links with the Decameron. In both Boccaccio and in these comedies some intellectuals are subject to biting satire because of their inappropriate behaviour, their presumed culture and as a consequence of their artificial language. The female characters also show characteristics which are already present in Boccaccio and in medieval tradition; some unhappily married women react to their situation in a manner which is frequently aggressive, whereas some others are examples of absolute honesty and faithfulness, so that in Boccaccio as well as in comedy we can speak of a dialectic between misogyny and philogyny. Both in Decameron and in many prologues to comedies, women are viewed as privileged interlocutors and spectators, who often receive ambiguous compliments.

Keywords

Typologies of characters, ridiculous intellectuals, comedy of the signifier, philogyny, misogyny

Author Biography

Antonio Stäuble, Università di Losanna

Antonio Stäuble è stato professore universitario di Letteratura italiana presso l’Università di Losanna.

Published

2009-11-02

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