Ariosto, Orlando furioso - introduzione facile e veloce!

Emmecitì

15 Apr 202016:37

Summary

TLDRThe video explores Ludovico Ariosto's 'Orlando Furioso,' emphasizing its significance in Italian literature. The presenter highlights the work’s origins, starting in 1505, and its evolution over three editions. Ariosto drew inspiration from Matteo Maria Boiardo’s 'Orlando Innamorato,' continuing its themes of chivalry, love, and the quest motif. The video explains the intricate plotlines, such as Orlando's unrequited love for Angelica and Ruggiero's journey. It also discusses the work’s stylistic elements, including irony, and how the language reflects Renaissance ideals, blending courtly and Florentine influences. The video concludes with a discussion of the poem’s complex narrative structure.

Takeaways

📚 Ludovico Ariosto began writing *Orlando Furioso* in 1505, continuing from *Orlando Innamorato* by Matteo Maria Boiardo.
🗓️ The first edition of *Orlando Furioso* was published in 1515 with 40 cantos. Later editions in 1521 and 1532 added six more cantos and revised the language.
🏰 The poem was written for the entertainment of the cultured court of the Este family in Ferrara, where Ariosto worked.
📖 Ariosto adopted a more classical Florentine Italian language, following the norms of Pietro Bembo, after initially using the Ferrara dialect.
💔 The key theme of the poem is Orlando's unrequited love for Angelica, which drives him to madness.
🔍 A central motif in the poem is the 'quest,' with characters pursuing unattainable desires, often leading to failure, especially Orlando's quest for Angelica's love.
🌍 The setting of *Orlando Furioso* spans vast locations, from France to the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, and even the Far East, symbolizing a horizontal and labyrinthine space.
📜 The poem is structured to reflect the unpredictable nature of human actions and fortune, contrasting with the divine order in works like Dante's *Divine Comedy*.
🌀 The narrative structure involves intertwining storylines with non-linear timelines, making use of flashbacks and simultaneous events.
🎭 Ariosto's use of irony and narrative estrangement allows for a satirical view of chivalric ideals, often lowering the grandeur of the heroic characters into relatable, everyday struggles.

Q & A

Who is the author of *Orlando Furioso*?
-The author of *Orlando Furioso* is Ludovico Ariosto.
When did Ludovico Ariosto begin composing *Orlando Furioso*?
-Ludovico Ariosto began composing *Orlando Furioso* in 1505.
What was the literary influence behind *Orlando Furioso*?
-*Orlando Furioso* continues the work of Matteo Maria Boiardo, specifically his poem *Orlando Innamorato*, which ends at the ninth canto of the third book.
When was the first edition of *Orlando Furioso* published, and how many cantos did it include?
-The first edition of *Orlando Furioso* was published in 1515, and it included 40 cantos.
What changes were made to *Orlando Furioso* in later editions?
-Ariosto revised the work and published two additional editions in 1521 and 1532. The 1532 edition added six more cantos, bringing the total to 46, along with a complete linguistic revision.
How did Ludovico Ariosto modify the language of *Orlando Furioso* between editions?
-The earlier editions used the vernacular of the Ferrarese court, but in the later editions, Ariosto adopted a language more aligned with Pietro Bembo's prose, using the Florentine vernacular of the 14th century.
What are the three main narrative threads of *Orlando Furioso*?
-The three main threads are: (1) the war waged by King Agramante of Africa against Charlemagne, (2) Orlando's unrequited love for Angelica, and (3) the adventures of Ruggiero and Bradamante, which culminate in their marriage and the foundation of the Este dynasty.
How does *Orlando Furioso* differ from traditional medieval romances in terms of quest structure?
-In medieval romances, the quest was often religious or related to chivalric ideals, such as the search for the Holy Grail. In *Orlando Furioso*, however, the quests are profane and always fail, reflecting a more modern, disillusioned view of the world.
What role does irony play in *Orlando Furioso*?
-Ariosto frequently uses irony to comment on the actions of his characters, often through humorous or skeptical narrative interventions. For example, when Angelica claims to be a virgin, the narrator sarcastically comments, 'perhaps it was true, but not believable.'
What is the significance of space and time in *Orlando Furioso*?
-The space in *Orlando Furioso* is vast and horizontal, spanning multiple regions, unlike the vertical structure of Dante's *Divine Comedy*. Time in the narrative is also labyrinthine, with overlapping timelines and events.
How does *Orlando Furioso* conclude, and how does this compare to Boiardo's work?
-At the end of *Orlando Furioso*, Orlando regains his sanity and helps in the battle against the Moors, Angelica marries Medoro, and Ruggiero converts to Christianity and marries Bradamante. Unlike Boiardo's open-ended work, Ariosto provides a conclusive ending.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Introduction to Ludovico Ariosto and Orlando Furioso

The speaker introduces Ludovico Ariosto and his most important work, *Orlando Furioso*. Ariosto began writing the poem in 1505, inspired by Matteo Maria Boiardo’s *Orlando Innamorato*. Ariosto continued Boiardo’s story, which had stopped at the ninth canto of Book III. The first edition of *Orlando Furioso* was published in 1516 with 40 cantos. Subsequent editions were released in 1521 and 1532, the latter containing six additional cantos and a revised linguistic style. Originally written in the Ferrara dialect, the final edition conformed to Pietro Bembo’s Florentine standard. The story is chivalric, featuring Orlando’s unrequited love for Angelica, leading to his madness. It was written for the Ferrara court but gained widespread popularity due to Gutenberg’s printing press.

05:02

🧐 The Theme of the Quest in Orlando Furioso

The paragraph discusses the central theme of the quest (*inchiesta*) in *Orlando Furioso*, a key element in medieval chivalric romances. Unlike the religious or votive quests of earlier works, the quests in Ariosto’s poem are secular and often unattainable, resulting in failure for characters like Orlando, who cannot win Angelica’s love. This cyclical and futile pursuit reflects the concept of 'errare,' meaning both physical wandering and moral or intellectual error. The unfulfilled desires lead to madness, as exemplified by Orlando. The vast narrative space spans regions from France to Asia, but remains horizontal and earthly, reflecting Renaissance humanism and the unpredictable force of fortune.

10:03

🌍 A Labyrinthine World of Fortune and Space

This section compares the structure of space and time in *Orlando Furioso* to that of Dante’s *Divine Comedy* and Boccaccio’s *Decameron*. Unlike Dante's vertical and linear journey from Hell to Heaven, Ariosto's world is horizontal and chaotic, reflecting the unpredictability of fortune. The spatial expanse is vast, covering Europe, the Near East, and beyond, but remains grounded in human desires and decisions, with little divine intervention. Events unfold in a labyrinthine, non-linear manner, where timelines are jumbled, much like modern-day flashbacks in films. Despite this complexity, the poem conveys an impression of harmony and order, where all threads eventually converge.

15:04

🎭 Irony and the Nature of Reality in Ariosto's Poem

The focus shifts to the conclusion of *Orlando Furioso* and its alignment with classical unity, unlike Boiardo's unfinished work. Orlando regains his sanity and contributes to the victory over the Moors, while Angelica marries Medoro. Ruggiero, after converting to Christianity, marries Bradamante, solidifying the Estense dynasty. The finality contrasts with the open-ended structure of earlier chivalric tales. Ariosto critiques the courtly ideals celebrated by Boiardo, using irony and estrangement to depict a world governed by fortune, where heroic values no longer hold true. This irony is demonstrated when Ariosto humorously questions Angelica's claim of virginity and lowers the epic grandeur to relatable, everyday experiences.

🖋️ The Language and Style of Orlando Furioso

Ariosto’s linguistic revisions in the 1532 edition align his work with Pietro Bembo’s literary standards, drawing from Petrarch’s style. However, Ariosto’s language remains more varied than Petrarch’s rigid monolingualism and avoids the intense linguistic clashes seen in Dante’s works. The paragraph highlights how Ariosto’s use of irony and perspective—particularly through estrangement and downgrading of heroic figures—helps him explore the nature of reality. For example, Orlando’s epic love sickness is reduced to humorous, mundane imagery, like finding his bed as uncomfortable as if it were filled with thorns. Ariosto's fusion of epic and ordinary life reveals his modern and nuanced view of the world.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Ludovico Ariosto

Ludovico Ariosto was an Italian poet and the author of 'Orlando Furioso,' the central subject of the video. He began composing the poem in 1505, drawing inspiration from Matteo Maria Boiardo's 'Orlando Innamorato.' Ariosto is notable for refining and expanding the chivalric tradition in his works, specifically in the Ferrarese court, as discussed in the video.

💡Orlando Furioso

'Orlando Furioso' is the epic poem written by Ludovico Ariosto, which serves as the main focus of the video. The poem, published in its final form in 1532, continues the story of Boiardo's 'Orlando Innamorato' and explores themes of love, madness, and chivalric ideals. It was widely popular due to its intricate narrative structure and became a best-seller in the 16th century.

💡Matteo Maria Boiardo

Matteo Maria Boiardo was the author of 'Orlando Innamorato,' the work that inspired Ariosto’s 'Orlando Furioso.' Boiardo’s poem ended unfinished, and Ariosto continued its themes, focusing on chivalric love and adventure. His influence is critical to understanding the background of 'Orlando Furioso,' as noted in the video.

💡Chivalric Romance

Chivalric romance is a genre centered around the adventures and ideals of knights, particularly in medieval and Renaissance literature. In the video, Ariosto’s 'Orlando Furioso' is described as a continuation of this tradition, though the video highlights how Ariosto's work deviates by focusing on the failure of quests and desires, as opposed to achieving heroic goals.

💡Volgare

‘Volgare’ refers to the vernacular language used by writers in contrast to Latin. Ariosto initially wrote 'Orlando Furioso' in the Ferrarese vernacular but later revised it to follow the more refined Florentine vernacular as prescribed by Pietro Bembo. This linguistic shift is important in the poem's history and shows its adaptation to Renaissance literary standards.

💡Pietro Bembo

Pietro Bembo was a key figure in Renaissance literature who advocated for the use of the Florentine dialect as the standard for Italian poetry and prose. The video mentions how Ariosto revised the language of 'Orlando Furioso' to align with Bembo’s linguistic prescriptions, which were based on the model of Petrarch and other classical Italian poets.

💡Inchiesta (Quest)

In the video, 'inchiesta' (quest) is a central theme of 'Orlando Furioso,' where characters pursue various personal desires, often unsuccessfully. Unlike medieval romances where quests often had religious significance, Ariosto’s characters follow more profane objectives, such as Orlando’s unrequited love for Angelica, which ultimately leads to his madness.

💡Fortuna

'Fortuna' (Fortune) represents the unpredictable force that governs the lives and outcomes of characters in 'Orlando Furioso.' The video emphasizes that Ariosto's depiction of fortune is different from earlier writers like Dante and Boccaccio, portraying it as a capricious and uncontrollable force that disrupts human desires and quests.

💡Irony

Irony is a literary device used extensively by Ariosto in 'Orlando Furioso' to comment on the absurdity or futility of the characters’ actions and desires. The video provides examples of how Ariosto uses irony, such as when he questions Angelica's claim to virginity, suggesting that the reader should be skeptical of the characters' assertions.

💡Dinastia Estense

The Estense dynasty was the ruling family of Ferrara, and Ariosto served them while composing 'Orlando Furioso.' The poem features encomiastic elements that celebrate the Estense lineage, specifically through the story of the marriage of Ruggiero and Bradamante, whose union symbolizes the founding of the dynasty, as noted in the video.

Highlights

Ludovico Ariosto began composing 'Orlando Furioso' in 1505, continuing the narrative from Matteo Maria Boiardo's unfinished 'Orlando Innamorato'.

'Orlando Furioso' was first published in 1516, consisting of 40 cantos, followed by two revised editions in 1521 and 1532, with an additional 6 cantos in the final version.

Ariosto shifted from using the Ferrara dialect in the first editions to adopting a Florentine dialect influenced by Pietro Bembo in the later editions.

The poem intertwines three main plotlines: Agramante's war against Charlemagne, Orlando's unrequited love for Angelica, and the love story of Ruggiero and Bradamante, leading to the foundation of the Este dynasty.

The concept of 'quest' is central in the narrative, but unlike medieval romances where quests are religious, in 'Orlando Furioso' the quests are secular and always end in failure.

Orlando's quest for Angelica's love leads to madness, reflecting the theme of unattainable desires and the characters' endless wandering.

The structure of 'Orlando Furioso' is complex, with multiple intertwining storylines that often overlap in time, creating a non-linear narrative.

Ariosto's work is described as a 'best-seller' of the 16th century, greatly aided by the advent of Gutenberg's movable type printing press in 1455.

The poem's space is vast and horizontal, covering locations from France to the Far East, except for Astolfo's journey to the moon to retrieve Orlando's lost sanity.

Ariosto's world is ruled not by divine order but by capricious fortune, contrasting with the linear and divine order seen in works like Dante's 'Divine Comedy'.

Despite the chaotic nature of space and time in the narrative, the poem gives an impression of a harmoniously ordered cosmos, in line with classical poetic principles.

The use of irony and narrative commentary, particularly through the author's voice, serves to distance the reader from the events and introduce skepticism about the characters' actions.

Ariosto frequently employs 'straniamento' or 'estrangement,' shifting perspectives suddenly, such as when he doubts Angelica's claim of virginity.

The poem's style balances the monolingual precision of Petrarch with a more diverse linguistic approach, avoiding both the strict linguistic unity of Petrarch and the multilinguism of Dante.

The ultimate theme of 'Orlando Furioso' reflects the Renaissance humanist perspective on the unpredictability of fortune and the disillusionment of human desires.