The Buffoons, A Ridiculous Comedy: A Bilingual Edition (Volume 63) (The Other Voice in Early Modern Europe: The Toronto Series)

This translation makes The Buffoons , the first female-authored comedy printed in Italy, available to Anglophone readers for the first time. Published in 1641, this burlesque play depicts the mismatched sexual desires of a prince and princess. Although set in northern Africa, the comedy satirizes the Florentine court of Grand Duke Ferdinando II de’ Medici, one of Costa’s several elite patrons. By featuring the clownish antics of an unconventional cast of dwarfs, hunchbacks, and buffoons, it reflects the bizarre appetites and grotesque entertainments of the day. Ribald puns and commedia dell’arte -inspired slapstick abound, presenting the reader with a comic alternative to decorous women’s writing in early modern Italy. This translation makes The Buffoons, the first female-authored comedy printed in Italy, available to Anglophone readers for the first time. Published in 1641, this burlesque play depicts the mismatched sexual desires of a prince and princess. Although set in northern Africa, the comedy satirizes the Florentine court of Grand Duke Ferdinando II de' Medici, one of Costa's several elite patrons. By featuring the clownish antics of an unconventional cast of dwarfs, hunchbacks, and buffoons, it reflects the bizarre appetites and grotesque entertainments of the day. Ribald puns and commedia dell'arte-inspired slapstick abound, presenting the reader with a comic alternative to decorous women's writing in early modern Italy. --Publisher description Cover Title Page Contents Acknowledgments Illustrations Introduction The Buffoons, A Ridiculous Comedy To the Readers Cast of Characters Argument Canzonetta Prologue Act One Act Two Act Three Canzonette Notes to the Italian Edition Notes to the English Translation Dedication Margherita Costa ; Edited And Translated By Sara E. Díaz And Jessica Goethals. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. In English And Italian.