MAPPA LETTERATURA INGLESE

1. WOMAN, LADY, MISTRESS ( parte 1)
WOMAN: an adult female, sometimes a wife or a partner
LADY: a word similar at “woman” that some people consider as more polite
MISTRESS: a man’s “mistress” is a woman he has a regular sexual relationship with and is not his wife
 THE IDEALISATION OF THE WOMAN HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MAIN TOPICS OF WESTERN LITERATURE SINCE THE WORKS IN
ANCIENT GREEK AND LATIN.
 IN THE MIDDLE AGES THE TREATMENT OF LOVE VARIED ACCORDINGTO THE GENRE OF THE LITERARY WORK: THE WOMAN
WAS A LADY WHOM THE AUTHOR WORSHIPPEDLIKE THE VIRGIN MARY. LOVE FOR THIS IDEAL WOMANWAS LINKED WITH
THE IDEALS OF LOYALTY,SACRIFICE,RENUNCIATION AND REWARD.
 MISTERY AND ADULTERY WERE POPULARINGREDIENTS DUE TO THE SOCIAL REALITYOF MARRIAGE IN FEUDAL SOCIETY.AT
THE TIME THE LADY OFTEN LIVED WITH HER LORD IN AN ISOLATED CASTLE AND MARRIEDFOR ECONOMIC OR POLITICAL
REASONS.
WOMAN, LADY, MISTRESS (parte 2)
 SPIRITUAL ELEVATION WAS THE NEW THEME CONNECTED WITH LOVE IN THE POETRY OF THE ITALIAN “DOLCE STIL NOVO”,
OR THE “NEW STYLE”.
 LOVE WAS NO LONGER A METAPHOR,BUT BECAME AN ANGEL,AN INTERMEDARY CREATURE BETWEENTHE EARTH AND
HEAVEN. HER PRESENCE LED MAN CLOSER TO GOD. ( THIS POETIC TREND STARTEDWITH GUINIZZELLI ANDCAVALCANTI
AND DANTE)
 DURINGTHE RENAISSANCE,THE POET CONFRONTED THE CLASH BETWEENIDEAL LOVE,LEADINGTO PERFECTION AND REAL
LOVE,WHICH WAS IRRATIONAL,PASSIONATE ANDLED TO FOLLY AND PERDITION.
 SHAKESPEARE TRIED TO SEPARATE THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF LOVE THAT BEEN FUSED IN PETRARCH,IN ORDER TO
REASSIGN THEM TWO OPPOSED TYPES OF LOVE-RELATIONSHIP.
 SHAKESPEARE NEEDED TO REWRITE THE PETRARCHIAN ARCHETYPE.
 SHAKESPEARE INVERTED THE CONVENIONAL PRESENTATIONOF THE WOMAN:NOW THE WOMAS IS GIVEN DARK HAIR AND
EYES AND UNATTRACTIVE FACE ( PETRARCHIANWOMAN IS BLOND HAIR,BLUE EYES AND BEAUTIFUL FACE)