Five Italian Renaissance Comedies

by Bruce Penman (Editor), Niccolò Machiavelli (Contributor), Ludovico Ariosto (Contributor)

The plays in this volume all represent in some way the sophistication and subtlety of the Renaissance. From Machiavelli's sharp satire on corrupt clergy to Guarini's robust pastoral; from Ariosto's and Aretino's vivid and suggestive portraits of Ferrara and Mantua, which reveal the many themes and relationships of those ducal courts.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Italian Literature, Classics, 16th Century, Anthologies

448 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Ruthie]

When I say I've 'read' this, I mean I've read 20%. I read Niccolò Machiavelli's La Mandragola / The Mandragola. I know I have, because there are pencilled notes in the margin from my student days doing a BA Hons in Drama and English. Can't remember a word of it, nor of the history of renaissance comedies.
Going to the charity shop (June 2025)

[Richard Anderson]

Lots of excellent material here.

[Aaron Schuschu]

You can definitely tell that Shakespeare was inspired by this