ipl-logo

Love And Marriage In Renaissance Florence By Gene Brucker

1783 Words8 Pages

In the ethereal tapestry of Renaissance Florence, where love was but a pawn in the intricate game of power and alliances, Giovanni and Lusanna dared to traverse the treacherous terrain of passion. In this unforgiving landscape, where rigid gender roles held sway, their affair blossomed, challenging the very fabric of societal norms. Gene Brucker, the master chronicler, weaves a tale of profound complexity in his meticulous compilation of court documents. Through his discerning eye, the audience is invited to peer into the depths of this intricate case, where the clash of social classes and the weight of gender expectations obscure the truth. In the novel Giovanni and Lusanna, Love and Marriage in Renaissance Florence, Brucker’s narrative …show more content…

The narrative questions preconceived notions about how men and women behave while examining gender, power, and social standards. Brucker explores the complexities of gender interactions in historical and political contexts. Lusanna's unorthodox conduct, which was not following cultural standards, portrayed a suboptimal reputation that reinforced Giovanni's accusations of her chastity and alleged seduction to coerce him into marriage. In Giovanni's testimony, Lusanna's neighbors attested to several male visitors during her marriage. The allegations have merit considering Lusanna's relationship with Giovanni began while she was married, which conflicts with the notion and her claims of chastity. Despite the accusations of her misconduct, her pursuit of love and desire for marriage with Giovanni transcended this position and displayed her devotion to the new union. Devotion to the relationship was a one-sided affair, as Giovanni urged her to conceal the marriage and further damaged her reputation by rejecting their union. Following Giovanni's attempt to remarry, Lusanna's decision to sue demonstrates her lack of passivity in actively pursuing personal fulfillment and agency, even when doing so required breaching social conventions. Despite a patriarchal society ruled by power-hungry men, Lusanna's tenacity inspires women to assert their voice in a society dominated by

Show More
Related
1071 Words | 5 Pages

Giovanni’s lawyer told the court that Lusanna is not a reliable person because of her class, and that Giovanni would never bother with her because he is aware of his social ranking. He also says that Giovanni would not risk his reputation for a girl like Lusanna. This shows that women do not

Read More
228 Words | 1 Pages

According to the letter written by Niccolo Machiavelli, “I enter the ancient courts of ancient men, where, received by them with affection. ”(Document 3) This is one of the main ideas that characterized Renaissance art and literature. I

Read More
1366 Words | 6 Pages

The story of Giovanni and Lusanna has a lot more content then what the title portrays it to be. What I mean by that is that it is entirely based on the factual account of what happened

Read More
547 Words | 3 Pages

The goal of this abstract is to analyze the commodification of Hero in Act 4; Scene 1, the wedding scene. Commodification is the action of treating something or someone as a mere commodity. During the Rennesance period, women were pieces of property, owned by their fathers until given to their husbands. This scene starts at the altar with Hero, Leonato’s daughter, with her soon to be husband, Claudio. Claudio then says this, “Stand thee by, friar.--Father, by your leave, Will you with free and unconstrained soul give me this maid, your daughter?”(page 125, lines 23-25).

Read More
1712 Words | 7 Pages

Introduction June the 22nd, the year 1941, Germany launches “…the most powerful invasion force in history” across the border of Soviet Russia. That assessment of the invasion is surely accurate, as “Nineteen panzer divisions, 3,000 tanks, 2,500 aircraft, and 7,000 artillery pieces pour across a thousand-mile front.” Despite the temptation to analyze this singular event from the perspective of logistics, planning, and execution (on the part of both sides), which could, and have, filled volumes, the most important part of the operation was how this action, on the part of Germany, finally drew the lines of conflict that had been elusive up until that point. Was an alliance with the Soviet Union a genuine possibility, as suggested by some historians such as Alexander Hill, or were these actions simply measures to buy time and advantage, a position held by others such as Gerhard L. Weinberg.

Read More
1192 Words | 5 Pages

Yet, despite Don Pedro's reassurance Claudio remains skeptical: "you speak this to fetch me in my lord,". It would seem that male dignity and reputation depend just as much on how women's sexual behaviors are regulated and controlled as they do on how their chastity is viewed. Shakespeare is renowned for his ongoing investigation of the masculine concerns that once more show patriarchy's obsession with female chastity (Mark Breitenberg,1993). We can also draw attention to the play's emphasis on honor and, by extension, the renaissance era's emphasis on female virginity, chastity, and purity. Don Pedro is ready to humiliate Hero without even hearing her defense.

Read More
574 Words | 3 Pages

Historical Context: In 1504 Baldesar Castiglione entered the court of guidobaldo of Montefeltro, duke of urbino, Where he stayed until 1524. During the time between 1504 to 1524, he had experienced how was the life of a courtier in the court. Later on, he wrote The Book of the Courtier, which described the ideal courtier and presented the Renaissance man. Also, fashioned as a discourse among courtiers and courtesans.

Read More
1679 Words | 7 Pages

When Lucentio first gained sight of Bianca, his initial reaction consisted of immediate and instant interest. He immediately begins fantasizing about her, comparing her to what “that daughter of Agenor had,/That made great Jove to humble him to her hand/ When with his knees he kissed the Cretan strand (Shakespeare 1.1.169-172) As opposed to many of Bianca’s suitors, when discussing Bianca with Tranio, Lucentio compares her to literary works and uses many intellectual metaphors to describe her beauty and his passion towards her. This contrasts the other suitors’ infatuation with her that could be compared to a competition to gain Bianca’s favor, treating her akin to a prize one has to win, an axiomatic rule in the 1500s.

Read More
553 Words | 3 Pages

Shakespeare’s romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing, serves as psychological barometer of the 1600’s combing a cheerful mood with an intricate series of deceptions and miscommunications, or as critic Muriel C. Bradbrook put it, this play, a comedy of masks where deeper issues are overlaid with mirth.” Explains quite perfectly the quirkiness of the romantic relationships of Beatrice/Benedick and that of Hero/Claudio as they traverse through a maze of masterful ruses bringing to light the importance we place on social constructs of marriage, feminine ideals, and ultimately an ineptness of authority. In Victor Cahn’s book The Plays of Shakespeare: A Thematic Guide, he points out that, “During Shakespeare’s time, marriage was a maledominated

Read More
841 Words | 4 Pages

Zophy writes of women, “for the most part, did not have much of a “renaissance” ” (Zophy 3). In “The Family”, Alessandria, a woman attempts to connect her exiled soon with a prospective bride with the help of a man, only to fall short in her attempts. This reveals the power dynamics between men and women. Regardless of the gender, both men and women were married to each other with the parentings arranging the ordeal.

Read More
1237 Words | 5 Pages

“Love led us on to one death” says Francesca (). She portrays herself as helpless and defenseless against the power of love. Furthermore, she says “love…swiftly kindled in the noble heart…still injures me” (). Her repeated usage of love shows that she believes that she did nothing wrong. Love is an implacable force and thus, it overpowered and seized her.

Read More
875 Words | 4 Pages

Much Ado About Nothing Essay Shakespeare’s ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ which was written around 1598, exhibits how he used language to present his critique on the 16th Century Italy. The use of courtship & marriage, gender representations as well as stylistic techniques for instance witty repartee resembles the style of living throughout the 16th century additionally established as the ‘Elizabethan era’. Shakespeare presents how homogeneous the play and the 16th Century actually were like, also how the women were treated and men were often deceived by others. William Shakespeare displays a clear picture on how courtship and marriage was in 16th Century Italy by using deception. For instance, deception was used by Don John to subterfuge Claudio

Read More
977 Words | 4 Pages

Started from Purgatory canto XXX, Virgil, the sweet father has left Dante in purgatory. Then a lady came to Dante, crowded with olive-leaves, over a white veil, dressed in colours of living flame. And Dante found out who she is right away, through her hidden charm, felt the power from former love. The lady is Beatrice, she appears as one of his guides in Purgatory and Paradise.

Read More
1506 Words | 7 Pages

This conversation sheds light on the strict gender roles within the society. As Gerardo is symbolic of the stereotypical male, he is the breadwinner and dominant figure. The inference made here is that he need not consult his wife whose opinion is largely irrelevant due to her inherent insignificance as a woman, despite the fact that this new job title deals with events that affected her life so incredibly. This depiction of gender roles shows the disparity of power. Dorfman uses this issue as a dramatic technique to angle the audience in a sympathetic way towards Paulina, whilst subtly asking them to contemplate whether the disparity between men and women is fair or not.

Read More
1209 Words | 5 Pages

The first instance which supports the notion that a lapse of communication is responsible for the unsuccessful nature of heterosexual relationships is the case of Duke Orsino and Countess Olivia’s relationship. Both start the play preoccupied with their own concerns, Orsino is worried about finding love, specifically with Olivia, meanwhile she is busy mourning the death of her brother by refusing to marry anyone for seven years. However, it is Orsino’s obsession with seeking love and how he goes about pursuing Olivia that best exemplifies the problematic nature of a male and female’s relationship. Orsino opened the play by saying of love, “Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, / The appetite may sicken and so die” (1.1.1-3), essentially saying that he so badly craves the feeling being in love gives him, that he would like in so great a quantity that it would end his life.

Read More

More about Love And Marriage In Renaissance Florence By Gene Brucker

Related Topics

Open Document