(Capitolo 34) Promessi Sposi: Riassunto

Summary

In Chapter 34 of *The Betrothed*, Renzo navigates a desolate, plague-ridden Milan, facing death, fear, and uncertainty. As he enters the city, he encounters a mix of tragic scenes, including the desperate plight of a woman and her children, the gruesome spectacle of the plague victims being carted away, and his mistaken identity as a plague spreader. Despite the dangers, Renzo offers help and eventually learns that Lucia might be at the lazzaretto. The chapter highlights themes of suffering, compassion, and survival amidst the chaos of a pandemic.

Takeaways

• 😀 Renzo attempts to enter Milan, despite knowing the city's strict health certification regulations, and succeeds by bribing a guard with a coin.
• 😀 While in Milan, Renzo experiences an unsettling atmosphere, with dark skies, heavy air, and a desolate landscape reflecting the city's dire state during the plague.
• 😀 Renzo meets a woman confined to her house due to her husband's death from the plague, and he offers her food, promising to help her.
• 😀 Renzo learns that Lucia might be at the lazaretto and is filled with anxiety, fearing for her health and well-being as he searches for her.
• 😀 Renzo encounters a horrific scene of the plague's toll on the city, with bodies being transported on carts, and people living in fear, suspicious of everyone around them.
• 😀 Renzo's journey to find Lucia leads him to a confrontation with a woman who wrongly accuses him of being an 'untore' (plague spreader), causing him to flee from a growing mob.
• 😀 Renzo narrowly escapes a lynching by hiding in a cart carrying plague victims, where the workers mistake him for one of the infected.
• 😀 The monatti, or plague workers, welcome Renzo aboard their cart, believing he is one of them, and they celebrate with wine and crude songs during their journey to the lazaretto.
• 😀 As Renzo nears the lazaretto, he is struck by the horrifying scenes of madness and suffering among the patients, which prepare him for the despair he will encounter inside.
• 😀 The script ends with Renzo arriving at the lazaretto, uncertain of Lucia's fate, amidst the chaos of the plague's ravages, and his growing desperation to find her.

Q & A

What is Renzo's initial plan when entering Milan?

Renzo initially plans to enter Milan without a certificate of health, attempting to pass through the first gate he encounters despite the official regulations requiring such a certificate.

How does Renzo manage to enter Milan despite the guard's presence?

Renzo successfully enters Milan by giving a coin to the guard, after which the guard calls out to him but allows him to pass without further issues.

What does Renzo encounter when he tries to ask for directions to Don Ferrante's house?

When Renzo asks a passerby for directions to Don Ferrante's house, the passerby reacts angrily, calling him mad, which Renzo dismisses, thinking the person is crazy.

What is Renzo's reaction to seeing the scene in Piazza San Marco?

Renzo is horrified and deeply disturbed by the sight of the torture machine in the center of Piazza San Marco, along with the sight of the monatti and the corpses of plague victims being transported through the streets.

How does Renzo react when he meets a woman who is locked in her house?

Renzo feels compassion for the woman, who is at risk of starving because her family has been quarantined. He gives her two loaves of bread, promising to seek help for her situation.

What is Renzo's emotional state as he progresses through Milan?

Renzo is filled with anxiety and unease as he walks through Milan, constantly fearing for Lucia's safety while witnessing the devastation caused by the plague.

What is the significance of the scene where Renzo observes a mother carrying her dead daughter?

The scene is a poignant moment that highlights the devastating impact of the plague, as the mother walks with her dead daughter in her arms, determined to carry her child to the grave herself.

How does Renzo react when he is mistaken for an 'untore' (plague spreader)?

Renzo is shocked and confused when a woman mistakenly accuses him of being an untore. This leads to a small mob forming around him, and he is forced to flee to avoid being lynched.

What happens when Renzo escapes the mob and jumps onto the cart of the monatti?

Renzo is welcomed onto the monatti's cart, where he is mistaken for a fellow 'untore.' He is protected from the mob and the situation, although unsettling, provides a temporary safety.

What is the atmosphere like around the Lazaretto, and how does Renzo react to it?

The area around the Lazaretto is filled with sickness, death, and madness. Renzo is overwhelmed by the sight of the infected and delirious patients, as well as the strange and disturbing behavior of those affected by the plague.