Faculty Letter of Support

The Treatment of Women in Ariosto's Orlando Furioso: The Work as Receptor and Emitter of Feminist Literary Influences in the Renaissance (Excerpt)

One of the most sincere and committed supporters of women's merits and advancement was Ludovico Ariosto. The enormous popularity of the Orlando Furioso, since its very first edition of 1516, is a confirmation of Ariosto's intention to reach many different classes of readers. Moreover the prominence of the ìdebateî on women in Ariosto's poem, is proof of his sensitivity and concern for women's representation. Ariosto incorporated, in an epic narrative context, a taxonomy of feminine behavioral patterns, and used the recognizable classification to formulate and suggest changes to his female readers. An analysis of the major heroines of the poem, and of the author's rejection or retention of them, offers evidence of that specific didactic component of the Orlando Furioso. One recommendation consistently repeated in the poem, is the appropriation of, and skilled production of language by women, as their most valid instrument toward visibility, equality and access to socio-political power.

According to many contemporary American women scholars, Ariosto aborted his attempt to offer women a model to follow to free themselves from passive submission or institutionalized roles. On the contrary, it is of great importance to confirm that the emancipation suggested by the poet was, and remains, one of the most valid tools for liberation from stereotypes embraced by oppressors or, at times, even well intentioned reformers. I feel that it was, and it is, vital to recognize the importance of the development of a competent, and therefore respected, free speech for women. In various fascias of society and in the majority of the world we have witnessed, and still witness, the silencing of rightful denunciation or plea for justice, due to men's canonized verbal controlówhich leads to their supremacy.

Moved by the desire to reinforce the uniqueness of Ariosto's fundamental recommendation, I judge essential to research literature on functions and roles of women, written by his immediate predecessors or contemporaries. To bring my doctoral dissertation to a publishable book status, I intend to add this important aspect to my thesis, which dealt primarily with the evolution of the Aristotelean ideal female character.

For this purpose I need the assistance of a student whom I can trust on both aspects, the linguistic and literary preparation, to work in my field of specialization. The student I am sponsoring for this application manifested an interest in Spanish and Italian Renaissance Literature, in particular about Ariosto's Furioso and Cervantes' Don Quixote. She started inquiring about the possibility that the two masterpieces had more than a famous literary tradition in common.

Her participation to the research, and the deriving contribution to my field of interest, would help greatly to amplify and rectify the interpretation of Ariosto's ìclassicî.

Student Proposal