Il Filosofo

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Il Filosofo is a comedy by Pietro Aretino in five acts from 1546 (first published).

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Appropriation

Like the appropriation by Lo Ipocrito (1542) , the appropriation is dedicated to Guidobaldo della Rovere , who shortly before had been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Venetian Army. Accordingly, we speak of the pomp of the celebrations on the occasion of this appointment. Not only the Venetians would pay homage to Guidobaldo, but the entire population under his rule, as well as every nation located on the Appennine Peninsula. The appointment as commander was the reason why Aretino published the comedy. Finally, Guidobaldo asked him to write it. Aretino apologizes for releasing the comedy before Guidobaldo could enjoy its premiere. In contrast to his previous donations, Il Filosofo's donation is dated, i. H. to the last day in May 1546.

Argomento e Prologo (plot and prologue)

The lecturer rebukes both those who made fun of dreams and those who believed their dreams. Last night he saw the set in a dream. In addition, he saw the prank against the Perugin Andreuccio in the Decameron of Boccaccio . However, in his dream there was a philosophaster with a very good memory. Good memory is responsible for the fact that the philosopher's wife succeeded in playing a funny prank when he wanted to fetch his mother-in-law to report his wife's locked lover to her. The lecturer swears that the city he saw in a dream is the same city that he now sees while awake. This city is more beautiful than Siena or even more than the earthly paradise. The Arab impact made the city's residents particularly smart. The properties of the city should be downright heavenly. As a joke, opposing properties are listed that are supposed to be inherent in the city, but which can also apply to the different seasons. Accordingly, the lecturer begins to ponder time and its inexorable course. From time he again comes to speak of death. Like all great masters, death never changes its mind. Time is constantly passing. Regardless of whether you let yourself be carried away by these great masters or fight against them - they always achieved their goal. The gods are to be forgiven for this quality, since it is a sign that their understanding never wanes. That is why one must forgive Cupid , who sleeps with a goddess here and torments another person there with his love arrows. Not only should one look after the money, that it comes slowly, but goes quickly again, but also the groups of the amusing people of the city mentioned above, although they reconciled for fun, but in reality smash their heads. Now that two gossips came over to gossip, he wanted to hide to see whether his dream would ever come true.

first act

  • The location of the action is Venice. Betta tells Mea that a certain Ciencia lives with her as a sublet who is pregnant. She also rented a room to the wealthy Peruginian Boccaccio. Coincidence would have it that Mea grew up with or with Boccaccio. And so shortly afterwards there is a happy reunion scene between Mea and Boccaccio, who is returning to his hostel.
  • Polidoro, a vain dude addicted to titles, is in love with a woman whose identity is initially not revealed.
  • The misogyne Plataristotile, on the other hand, devotes himself almost exclusively to his books and philosophical hair-splitters and in this way neglects his wife Tessa. Salvalaglio, his servant, therefore suspects that sooner or later Tessa Plataristotile will cheat.
  • Mona Papa, Tessa's mother regrets being persuaded to marry her daughter to Plataristotile. She is also otherwise averse to marriage because of the experiences she has had in her own married life.

Second act

  • After her conversation with Betta, Mea meets the matchmaker Tullia and reveals to him that she has met Boccaccio. This time, too, there is talk of Boccaccio's prosperity. Tullia asks Mea about Boccaccio's relatives, as if that way she could better locate Boccaccio. Mea gives Tullia details about his family and also tells Tullia about Boccaccio's land holdings. There is also talk of a gold coin, half of which Boccaccio's father gave to a woman with whom he had an affair in Venice. The purpose of this is to be able to prove the identity of the child of the two, should he or his affair have died. Since the father died, Boccaccio now owns the second half of the coin.
  • Polidoro, it turns out only here, is in love with Tessa, the wife of Plataristotiles. This returns his love. With Plataristotile once again immersed in his studies, the air is clear for both of them, so to speak. Polidoro can now visit Tessa secretly. Nepitella, Tessa's servant, gives this to Radicchio, Polidorus' servant.
  • Tullia instructs Lisa to go to Boccaccio, who lives in Betta's house for rent, and to inform him that her mistress, who is so beautiful that she vouches for the reputation of the city with her beauty, and that the mistress wishes Boccaccio to join her you give. Lisa does as she was told by her mistress and leads Boccaccio to Tullia's house. Tullia receives Boccaccio very warmly and pretends to faint for joy. Tullia justifies her behavior with the fact that she is Boccaccio's half-sister, i. H. the daughter of Boccaccio's father's affair. Since Tullia knows some details from Boccaccio's family life thanks to the loquacity of Meas, she can play her role as his half-sister credibly. She offers him to stay with her for the rest of his stay in town.

Third act

  • Tessa complains about the neglect she experiences from Plataristotile.
  • Since Tullia has in the meantime come into possession of Boccaccio's belongings, she makes a first attempt to get rid of him: When some police henchmen search for a person who is said to have killed another and ask Lisa about him, she refers the hunters to Boccaccio . However, he is lucky that the detectors know exactly who they are looking for and therefore do not prosecute Boccaccio any further. The second attempt to get rid of Boccaccio, however, succeeds Tullia. Boccaccio falls into a cesspool while going to the toilet. After he can free himself from her, he goes to Tullia's house and demands admission, but she refuses and sends her pimp instead. When Boccaccio is about to leave, he meets two men to whom he explains his situation. The men succeed in persuading Boccaccio to take part in a grave plundering, in which the jewelry, especially a carbuncle ring, of a high church dignitary is to be stolen. By participating in the theft, Boccaccio hopes to compensate for the loss of his goods stolen from Tullia. The thieves first take Boccaccio to a well so that he can wash himself and his clothes there. As police harassment are on the way again, the thieves flee and leave Boccaccio in the well. The police henchmen are the same ones who were looking for the killer. You are exhausted from your search and stop at the fountain. In this way, Boccaccio is pulled back up from the bottom of the well. When the thieves return, Boccaccio continues to participate in their action. The dignitary's body is under a stone slab at the entrance to a church. Boccaccio drives a stick into the gap between the grave slab and the ground, thus pushing it aside. The thieves then let Boccaccio down into the grave. He learned from Tullia's prank and the fact that the thieves let him down in the face of the police harassment, and he puts the ring on his finger with the carbuncle. On the other hand, he hands the thieves other valuables that are with the corpse (i.e. miter, shepherd's staff, gloves, choir cloak, etc.). He pretends not to have found the ring with the gem and asks the thieves to have one of them come downstairs to help him find the ring. Knowing that Boccaccio is trying to deceive them, the thieves close the grave slab and run off as quickly as possible, fearing that Boccaccio might attract attention with his screams.
  • After much philosophical thought, Plataristotile comes to the conclusion that his wife might have the intention of betraying him. So he chases after her and learns of Polidoro's upcoming visit during a conversation between Tessa and her maid. Plataristotile decides to lure Polidoro disguised as Tessa into his study and lock him in. If he had locked Polidoro in his room, according to Plataristotile, he would go to his mother-in-law and demand a divorce from his wife or disregard it.

Fourth act

  • As announced in the previous act, Plataristotile has lured Polidoro into his study and locked him there and now intends to complain to Tessa's mother. Tessa, in turn, learns from Radicchio what happened to Polidoro and that Plataristotile had gone to her mother. However, she has a spare key to Plataristotiles' study and can thus free Polidoro from the room. After the liberation of Polidoro, she orders Nepitella to lead a donkey from the stable into the study. They would lock him up there. In addition, Tessa has Nepitella fetch a lute so that, when Plataristotile arrives at the house, Polidoro will pass him singing and in this way expose him to ridicule. When Plataristotile arrives with his mother-in-law, everything happens as planned: while Polidoro passes him, playing and singing, a donkey is behind the locked door of the study. In view of the situation, Tessa finally demands to be allowed to live with her mother again.
  • In addition to the two thieves, clerics belonging to the demimonde are interested in the jewel of the deceased clergyman. At the clergyman's grave they find the utensils left by the thieves and in this way open the grave. One of them descends into the grave, but since Boccaccio grabs his leg, he leaves the grave as quickly as possible. When the thief is out again, his accomplices have long since left the church.

Fifth act

  • Since the grave is now open, Boccaccio manages to leave it. He goes to the house of his tenant Betta, who and Mea are already wondering where he's gone. He tells them the story of Tullia and the thieves. Furthermore, he indicates the grave robbery, but without compromising himself. Since Boccaccio is still wet from falling in the pit and the well and is also wearing underwear, Betta leads him home so that he can dry himself there and change his clothes.
  • In his philosophical considerations, Plataristotile has come to the conclusion that he wants Tessa back. It also turns out that the donkey in his study, which is also his library, messed up his books and relieved himself of them. In his change of heart, d. H. his turning away from philosophy through philosophy, Plataristotile now "craps" on his world of books in every respect. Plataristotile's servant Salavalaglio succeeds in persuading Tessa to return to Plataristotile at the behest of his master. Due to the social circumstances, Tessa has no choice but to comply with Plataristotile's wish, if she does not want to shame her family and become the talk of the neighbors. Plataristotile (= Plato + Aristotle), who had to be re-baptized in his change of heart, announces his change of heart to his wife. Tessa allows herself to be softened by Plataristotile in addition to the reasons mentioned above, since Polidoro has proven himself to be Luftikus from Tessa's point of view and has betrayed her with another. Plataristotile and Tessa ultimately make peace with each other.

people

  • Radicchio , servant of Polidoros
  • Mea , Boccaccio's former maid
  • Betta , landlady
  • Boccaccio , jeweler
  • Messer Plataristotile (Mr. Plataristotile), philosopher
  • Salvalaglio , Plataristotile's servant
  • Mona Papa (Mrs. Papa), sister-in-law Messer Plataristotiles
  • Donna Druda , (Mrs. Druda), Mona Papa's friend
  • Polidoro , Madonna Tessa's lover
  • Garbuglio , friend of Salvalaglio
  • Madonna Tessa (Mrs. Tessa), wife Messer Plataristotiles
  • Nepitella , servant of Madonna Tessa
  • Tullia , matchmaker
  • Lisa , confidante of Tullias
  • Police thugs
  • Cacciadiavoli , Tullia's pimp
  • Due ladri , (two thieves), intend to rob a corpse
  • Mezzoprete , also intends to rob the body
  • Chietino , also intends to rob the body
  • Lo Sfratato , also intends to rob the body
  • Fellow knife plataristotiles
  • Maid

Further information

  • The disadvantages of married life, which Druda tells her friend Mona Papa about in scene 6 of the first act, are reminiscent of Il Marescalco (1533), but in Il Marescalco the disadvantages are listed from the men's point of view. Mona Papa's suggestion of the sexual abuse she experiences from her husband recalls the conversation between a woman and Fra Timoteo in scene 3 of the third act in Machiavelli's Mandragola (1518), who also suggests that she suffered sexual abuse by her deceased husband . The invective against marriage and men are also a pretext to highlight the Duke of Urbino, to whom the appropriation is dedicated, as a beneficial exception in dealing with women.
  • Santa, Boccaccio's wife, is like Marmilia in La Talanta (1542) the daughter of a Capitano (cf. second act, scene 3).
  • After reading the Sei giornate ( 1534/36 ), Tullia has become a cunning matchmaker (see second act, scene 7).
  • We also find the connection between clergy and criminal machinations in Lo Ipocrito (1542) and La Talanta . In the first comedy mentioned, the matchmaker Gemma describes that she was originally an abbess, but that the pimping and pimping turned out to be more lucrative for her. Ipocrito, himself a cleric, devotes himself not only to blackmailing people like Gemma, but also earns his living through pimping and as a "parasite" ("parasitism" in the sense that he can be tolerated by rich people). In the latter comedy, the "parasite" Branca complains that pious hypocrites are dying out.

Literary influences

  • It is not mentioned that Boccaccio fell into a cesspool and that this was due to a loose wooden plank on the toilet that Tullia had deliberately placed there. Apparently, Aretino requires the viewer to know Boccaccio's Decameron (~ 1349–1353), or at least the fifth novella of the second day in which Andreuccio traveled from Perugia to Naples to buy horses and similar things happen to Boccaccio in Aretino's comedy (see third act, scene 7).
  • The story of Tessa and Plataristotile is inspired by the eighth novella of the seventh day of the '' Decamerone ''. In both the comedy and the novella, the woman cheats on her husband with another man because the husband has failed, at least from the point of view of the time, "marital duties" (i.e., the sexual satisfaction of his wife). In both Boccaccio's and Aretino's works, the wife's lover, included by the husband, is replaced with a ruse by another person, and in this way the husband is made ridiculous.
  • The episode in which Plataristotile imprisons Polidoro and indicates this to Tessa's mother is reminiscent of Bibbiena's La Calandria (1513), in which Calandro wants to lock his wife together with her lover in order to reveal her to her brothers, or of Piccolominis L'Alessandro (1544/45 ). In this comedy Gostanzo catches his daughter with her lover Cornelio and locks them up to report them to the Duke. In all three comedies the jealous husband or (in-law) father is exposed through a trick. The common motif of the triumph of the "unfaithful" wife over her husband, who tries to expose her as the latter, is in turn inspired by the fourth novella of the seventh day of the Decameron .
  • The substitution of a donkey for the lover seems to have been taken from Aretino by Rinaldo Ardito , a work attributed to Ludovico Ariosto . Malagigi disguises himself as Orlando in order to be able to have unmolested sexual pleasure with Queen Gallicana. When his affair with the queen is discovered, he replaces himself with a donkey to save himself.

literature

Text output

Pietro Aretino: "Il Filosofo", in: ders .: Tutte le commedie . Mursia, Milano (Milan) 1968.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ See also Douglas Radcliff-Umstead: The Birth of Modern Comedy in Renaissance Italy (1969). Chicago / London: The University of Chicago Press: 185.
  2. ↑ See also Douglas Radcliff-Umstead: The Birth of Modern Comedy in Renaissance Italy (1969). Chicago / London: The University of Chicago Press: 183.
  3. ↑ See Douglas Radcliff-Umstead: The Birth of Modern Comedy in Renaissance Italy (1969). Chicago / London: The University of Chicago Press: 183-184.
  4. ↑ See Douglas Radcliff-Umstead: The Birth of Modern Comedy in Renaissance Italy (1969). Chicago / London: The University of Chicago Press: 185.
  5. ↑ See Douglas Radcliff-Umstead: The Birth of Modern Comedy in Renaissance Italy (1969). Chicago / London: The University of Chicago Press: 184-185.