The Pretenders by Ludovico Ariosto
"The Pretenders" is a comedic play by Ludovico Ariosto, set in Renaissance Italy, that explores themes of mistaken identities, love, and societal expectations. The narrative centers around Polinesta, a young woman who is secretly involved with Dulippo, a servant who is actually the wealthy Erostrato in disguise. As complications arise from various suitors vying for Polinesta's hand, including an old doctor named Cleandro, a tangled web of relationships and identities unfolds.
The play is marked by humorous misunderstandings and clever deceptions, with both Erostrato and the real Dulippo switching roles, which adds to the comedic effect. As the story progresses, characters face the consequences of their actions, leading to revelations that ultimately resolve the conflicts. The narrative culminates in a reconciliation where true identities are revealed and relationships are restored, showcasing Ariosto's skill in blending humor with commentary on love and societal norms. The comedic dynamics and intricate plot make "The Pretenders" a notable work in the realm of Renaissance theatre, reflecting the complexities of human relationships within its historical context.
On this Page
The Pretenders by Ludovico Ariosto
First produced:I suppositi, 1509; first published, 1509 (English translation, 1566)
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Farce
Time of plot: c. 1500
Locale: Ferrara, Italy
Principal characters
Dulippo , posing as a servant, actually ErostratoErostrato , posing as a student, actually DulippoPolinesta , a young lady of FerraraDamon , a wealthy merchant, her fatherCleandro , an ancient doctor of law, her suitorA Sienese , posing as Erostrato’s fatherFilogono , a wealthy Sicilian merchant, father of ErostratoPasifilo , a meddlesome parasiteBalia , Polinesta’s nurse
The Story:
Balia, nurse to beautiful young Polinesta, expresses concern about her mistress’s practice of sleeping with her father’s servant, Dulippo. Polinesta reproves Balia, reminding her that it is she who first gave Dulippo access to Polinesta’s bedroom. Polinesta also reassures Balia by explaining that Dulippo is, in reality, not a servant, but Erostrato, the son of a wealthy Sicilian merchant. Having come to Ferrara to pursue his studies, he fell in love with Polinesta upon his arrival. Consequently, he has taken the name of his servant Dulippo and has secured employment in the house of his beloved’s father. Meanwhile, the true Dulippo has assumed the identity of Erostrato and occupies the house next door.
This affair has been going on for two years, but now it is being complicated by the fact that Cleandro, a doddering old doctor of law, has become a suitor for Polinesta’s hand, tempting her father with an offer of two thousand ducats. The real Erostrato is attempting to forestall him by having the false Erostrato ask for her hand, too, and by having him meet Cleandro’s offer.
The old doctor arrives in the company of his ever-hungry parasite, Pasifilo, and the two ladies retire. Cleandro’s eyesight is so bad that he cannot tell who they are. Under Pasifilo’s prodding, Cleandro boasts that he will go to any price to secure Polinesta. He has, he claims, amassed a fortune of ten thousand ducats during the time he has lived in Ferrara, and he boasts that this is the second fortune he has made. The first he lost at the fall of Otranto twenty years before. That loss, he recalls sadly, was nothing to the loss of his five-year-old son, captured by the Turks during the battle.
After Cleandro has gone, the false Dulippo appears to invite Pasifilo to dinner. The false Erostrato confronts the false Dulippo with bad news: Damon, Polinesta’s father, doubts Erostrato’s ability to match Cleandro’s offer for his daughter. The two connivers agree that they must devise some ruse to convince the grasping merchant of their ability to pay.
The false Dulippo, to alienate Cleandro and Pasifilo, tells the old doctor that Pasifilo has insulted Cleandro, illustrating the insults in an extremely comic way. After Cleandro leaves, enraged, the false Erostrato arrives, this time with good news. He has met a foolish Sienese gentleman whom he has frightened with the claim that all visitors from Siena are persecuted in Ferrara. The Sienese has sought protection by agreeing to pose as Erostrato’s father. He will meet any sum that Cleandro can offer.
The trick is never played. Damon has overheard Balia quarreling with a servant over the propriety of Polinesta’s conduct and has learned of his daughter’s two-year affair. Dulippo and Balia are thrown into Damon’s private dungeon. Damon, aware of the extralegal nature of this procedure, swears the servant to secrecy, but, unknown to him, Pasifilo, who had been sleeping off an attack of indigestion in the stables nearby, had awakened in time to overhear everything.
Meanwhile, to complicate matters further, Filogono, Erostrato’s true father, has arrived from Sicily. He had written asking Erostrato to return home, but his pleas were ignored, so he has decided to come in person for his son. He is conducted to Erostrato’s house by a local innkeeper. The false Erostrato sees him in time, however, and attempts to hide.
A hilarious bit of byplay follows in which the Sienese, aided by Erostrato’s servants, and Filogono, assisted by his servants, both claim to be Erostrato’s father. Finally Filogono espies the false Erostrato, whom he knows as his servant Dulippo, and calls on him to substantiate his claim. He is confounded when the real Dulippo declares that he is Erostrato, that the Sienese is Filogono of Sicily, and that the old man is an impostor or mad. Certain that Dulippo has done away with his son, Filogono goes off to seek aid from the authorities.
Pasifilo arrives to cadge a dinner from Erostrato. Concerned over the affair with Filogono, for he really loves the old man who has been a father to him, the false Erostrato asks Pasifilo if he has seen Dulippo, and Pasifilo tells him the whole story of the discovery and imprisonment. Afraid that the ruse has gone too far, the servant rushes off to confess all to Filogono, leaving Pasifilo, to the latter’s delight, in charge of the dinner.
Filogono returns with the lawyer he has retained—old Cleandro. He explains how his trusted servant, whom he had saved from the Turks twenty years before, has betrayed him. On hearing this story, Cleandro closely questions Filogono about the boy. To Cleandro’s delight, the real Dulippo turns out to be the old man’s long-lost son.
Next comes Damon. Polinesta has revealed the whole truth of her affair, and he has rushed out to check up on her claim that his servant is actually the wealthy and highborn Erostrato. Finally, the false Erostrato returns to make his confession, and all the entanglements are straightened out. The true Erostrato is released and united with his mistress, whom his father promises to procure as his bride—thereby pacifying Damon. Cleandro renounces his claim on Polinesta; he had wanted a wife only to produce an heir and now he has one in the true Dulippo. Even Cleandro and Pasifilo are reconciled, and Pasifilo is given a permanent invitation to dine at Cleandro’s house.
Bibliography
Ariosto, Ludovico. The Comedies of Ariosto. Translated by Edmond M. Beame and Leonard G. Sbrocchi. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1975. Presents very enjoyable English translations of Ariosto’s four comedies, including The Pretenders, with informative accompanying notes and brief analysis. The introduction situates Ariosto in his literary heritage, describes the historical circumstances of Renaissance Ferrara, and discusses various themes and rhetorical devices that Ariosto employed in his comedies.
Beecher, Donald, ed. Renaissance Comedy: The Italian Masters. Vol. 1. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008. First volume of a projected two-volume reassessment of Italian Renaissance comedy includes a full English translation of The Pretenders. Beecher’s introduction, “Erudite Comedy in Renaissance Italy,” describes the characteristics of Italian Renaissance comedy and recounts performance histories of the plays.
Bianchi, Stefano. “The Theatre of Ariosto.” In Ariosto Today: Contemporary Perspectives, edited by Donald Beecher, Massimo Ciavolella, and Roberto Fedi. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2003. Examination of Ariosto’s plays is included in a collection of essays covering various aspects of the writer’s works.
Griffin, Robert. Ludovico Ariosto. New York: Twayne, 1974. Critical study of Ariosto includes a chapter devoted to consideration of his minor works, including The Pretenders and other satires and lyrics.
Orr, David. Italian Renaissance Drama in England Before 1625: The Influence of Erudita Tragedy, Comedy, and Pastoral on Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1970. Discussion of the general influence of Italian drama on English drama during the Renaissance includes evaluation of a 1566 English translation of The Pretenders.
Radcliff-Umstead, Douglas. The Birth of Modern Comedy in Renaissance Italy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1969. Explains the importance of interpreting Italian Renaissance comedy according to its historical setting.