The Great Duke of Florence
Encyclopedia
The Great Duke of Florence is an early Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy
written by Philip Massinger
, and first published in 1636
. It has been called "one of Massinger's best dramas," and "a masterpiece of dramatic construction."
A play titled The Great Duke was licensed for performance by Sir Henry Herbert, the Master of the Revels
, on July 5, 1627
; the scholarly consensus interprets this as referring to Massinger's play. Topical allusions in the text have been read as indicating a date of authorship between October 1623 and March 1625. The play was acted by Queen Henrietta's Men
at the Cockpit Theatre
, and was published in quarto
in 1636 by the bookseller John Marriot
; Massinger dedicated the work to one of his patrons, Sir Robert Wiseman, in gratitude for his "supportment and protection." The quarto includes two commendatory poems, one by John Ford
.
Massinger is thought to have based his plot on the traditional story of Ethelwald and Elfrida, available to him in several versions; he may also have been influenced by an earlier play, A Knack to Know a Knave.
The play had no other publications or revival productions in its own era or in subsequent generations — somewhat surprisingly, since critics have tended to regard it highly. Algernon Charles Swinburne
called it "remarkable even among Massinger's works for elegance and grace of execution;" William Gifford
, in his edition of Massinger's works, wrote that "It is impossible not to be charmed with the manner in which this play is written." In the play, Massinger exploits the richness of a courtly style, full of "gay flourishes of language" (Act IV, scene ii), perhaps more successfully than in any other of his works. Though generally classified as a tragicomedy, there is nothing tragic and little serious in it; the play can just as correctly be called a comedy of manners
.
, though in a loose and ahistorical manner. In the play, Duke "Cozimo" is a childless widower who intends to leave his dukedom to his nephew Giovanni, the son of his late sister. (The actual Cosimo I had eleven children, including one named Giovanni
; and there are several other Giovanni de' Medici
s is the historical record.) At the start of the play, Cozimo's nephew and heir Giovanni has spent several years living at the country house of his tutor, Carolo Charomonte, where he has pursued academic subjects as well as all the training suitable for a youth of his social position — music, horsemanship, swordsmanship and the like. He has also nourished a close friendship with Charomonte's young daughter and only child Lidia, who is a paragon of female virtues—beautiful, intelligent, chaste, and modest.
Now, however, Giovanni has been called back to the Duke's court; he takes a sad leave of his tutor and Lidia and travels to Florence
with his servant Calandrino. The court is abuzz with the praises of Cozimo's favorite Count Sanazarro, who has just won a naval victory over the Ottoman
fleet, the most recent of Sanazarro's many triumphs and distinctions. Sanazarro is specially favored by Cozimo's ward Fiorinda, who when she reaches her maturity will be the duchess of Urbino
; Fiorinda goes so far as to give Sanazarro a diamond ring as a token of her regard. When Giovanni arrives, he requests that Fiorinda seek the Duke's permission to bring Lidia to court as one of her ladies in waiting. Other courtiers praise Lidia to the Duke; and Cozimo suspects that there may be a romantic connection between Giovanni and Lidia. This is not to his liking; the hint is that Cozimo may be planning a dynastic marriage between Giovanni and Fiorinda. Cozimo sends Sanazarro to Charomonte's country house to evaluate the young woman who may complicate his plans. Sanazarro meets Lidia—and instantly falls in love with her.
This is problematical, however; Sanazarro suspects that Cozimo is curious about Lidia because the Duke is thinking of marrying the girl himself. Back in Florence, Sanazarro shares his fears with Giovanni; neither of the young men welcomes the prospect of Cozimo marrying Lidia—and together they decide to mislead the Duke and dispraise Lidia to Cozimo. No sooner are they done running her down, however, than Fiorinda seeks out the Duke to fulfill her promise to Giovanni: she solicits permission to bring Lidia to the court, and in the process repeats all of Giovanni's lush praise of her. Cozimo is irate at the young men's patent attempt at manipulation; he decides to meet Lidia in person.
Cozimo travels to Charomonte's house with his courtiers, including Giovanni and Sanazarro; the increasingly desperate young men try to pass off a drunken serving woman as Lidia, and the Duke is temporarily fooled...only to become suspicious again after conversing with Charomonte. He meets Lidia himself, and realizes the hoodwinking that his heir and his favorite have tried to put over on him. They are quickly arrested and locked away in Charomonte's custody.
Sanazarro, shocked at his sudden fall, obtains a loose pain of glass from a window and inscribes a plea for Fiorinda's help on it, using the diamond ring she gave him; he manages to drop the glass message so that she finds it. In the closing scene's climactic confrontation, the young men express their regret at their deception and the young women plead for the Duke's forgiveness. Cozimo is reminded of his private vow to live in single widowerhood after the death of his beloved duchess; and he forgives the young men and allows the marriages of Giovanni with Lidia and Sanazarro with Fiorinda.
The play's quotient of broad comedy is supplied by Giovanni's servant Calandrino and the servants of Charomonte's household.
Tragicomedy
Tragicomedy is fictional work that blends aspects of the genres of tragedy and comedy. In English literature, from Shakespeare's time to the nineteenth century, tragicomedy referred to a serious play with either a happy ending or enough jokes throughout the play to lighten the mood.-Classical...
written by Philip Massinger
Philip Massinger
Philip Massinger was an English dramatist. His finely plotted plays, including A New Way to Pay Old Debts, The City Madam and The Roman Actor, are noted for their satire and realism, and their political and social themes.-Early life:The son of Arthur Massinger or Messenger, he was baptized at St....
, and first published in 1636
1636 in literature
The year 1636 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*January 31 - The King's Men perform Shakespeare's Julius Caesar at St. James's Palace.*February - James Shirley's The Duke's Mistress is performed at St...
. It has been called "one of Massinger's best dramas," and "a masterpiece of dramatic construction."
A play titled The Great Duke was licensed for performance by Sir Henry Herbert, the Master of the Revels
Master of the Revels
The Master of the Revels was a position within the English, and later the British, royal household heading the "Revels Office" or "Office of the Revels" that originally had responsibilities for overseeing royal festivities, known as revels, and later also became responsible for stage censorship,...
, on July 5, 1627
1627 in literature
The year 1627 in literature involved some significant events.-New books:*Jean-Pierre Camus - Hyacinthe*George Hakewill - An Apologie or Declaration of the Power and Providence of God*Marin Mersenne - Traité de l'harmonie universelle...
; the scholarly consensus interprets this as referring to Massinger's play. Topical allusions in the text have been read as indicating a date of authorship between October 1623 and March 1625. The play was acted by Queen Henrietta's Men
Queen Henrietta's Men
Queen Henrietta's Men was an important playing company or troupe of actors in Caroline era London. At their peak of popularity, Queen Henrietta's Men were the second leading troupe of the day, after only the King's Men.-Beginnings:...
at the Cockpit Theatre
Cockpit Theatre
The Cockpit was a theatre in London, operating from 1616 to around 1665. It was the first theatre to be located near Drury Lane. After damage in 1617, it was christened The Phoenix....
, and was published in quarto
Book size
The size of a book is generally measured by the height against the width of a leaf, or sometimes the height and width of its cover. A series of terms is commonly used by libraries and publishers for the general sizes of modern books, ranging from "folio" , to "quarto" and "octavo"...
in 1636 by the bookseller John Marriot
John and Richard Marriot
John Marriot and his son Richard Marriot were prominent London publishers and booksellers in the seventeenth century. For a portion of their careers, the 1645–57 period, they were partners in a family business....
; Massinger dedicated the work to one of his patrons, Sir Robert Wiseman, in gratitude for his "supportment and protection." The quarto includes two commendatory poems, one by John Ford
John Ford (dramatist)
John Ford was an English Jacobean and Caroline playwright and poet born in Ilsington in Devon in 1586.-Life and work:...
.
Massinger is thought to have based his plot on the traditional story of Ethelwald and Elfrida, available to him in several versions; he may also have been influenced by an earlier play, A Knack to Know a Knave.
The play had no other publications or revival productions in its own era or in subsequent generations — somewhat surprisingly, since critics have tended to regard it highly. Algernon Charles Swinburne
Algernon Charles Swinburne
Algernon Charles Swinburne was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He invented the roundel form, wrote several novels, and contributed to the famous Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica...
called it "remarkable even among Massinger's works for elegance and grace of execution;" William Gifford
William Gifford
William Gifford was an English critic, editor and poet, famous as a satirist and controversialist.-Life:Gifford was born in Ashburton, Devonshire to Edward Gifford and Elizabeth Cain. His father, a glazier and house painter, had run away as a youth with vagabond Bampfylde Moore Carew, and he...
, in his edition of Massinger's works, wrote that "It is impossible not to be charmed with the manner in which this play is written." In the play, Massinger exploits the richness of a courtly style, full of "gay flourishes of language" (Act IV, scene ii), perhaps more successfully than in any other of his works. Though generally classified as a tragicomedy, there is nothing tragic and little serious in it; the play can just as correctly be called a comedy of manners
Comedy of manners
The comedy of manners is a genre of play/television/film which satirizes the manners and affectations of a social class, often represented by stock characters, such as the miles gloriosus in ancient times, the fop and the rake during the Restoration, or an old person pretending to be young...
.
Synopsis
Massinger based the play's titular character on Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of TuscanyCosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Cosimo I de' Medici was Duke of Florence from 1537 to 1574, reigning as the first Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1569.-Biography:...
, though in a loose and ahistorical manner. In the play, Duke "Cozimo" is a childless widower who intends to leave his dukedom to his nephew Giovanni, the son of his late sister. (The actual Cosimo I had eleven children, including one named Giovanni
Giovanni de' Medici (cardinal)
Giovanni di Cosimo I de' Medici , also known as Giovanni de' Medici the Younger, was an Italian cardinal.-Biography:...
; and there are several other Giovanni de' Medici
Giovanni de' Medici
Giovanni de' Medici may refer to:*Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici *Giovanni di Cosimo de' Medici *Pope Leo X, Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici,...
s is the historical record.) At the start of the play, Cozimo's nephew and heir Giovanni has spent several years living at the country house of his tutor, Carolo Charomonte, where he has pursued academic subjects as well as all the training suitable for a youth of his social position — music, horsemanship, swordsmanship and the like. He has also nourished a close friendship with Charomonte's young daughter and only child Lidia, who is a paragon of female virtues—beautiful, intelligent, chaste, and modest.
Now, however, Giovanni has been called back to the Duke's court; he takes a sad leave of his tutor and Lidia and travels to Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
with his servant Calandrino. The court is abuzz with the praises of Cozimo's favorite Count Sanazarro, who has just won a naval victory over the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
fleet, the most recent of Sanazarro's many triumphs and distinctions. Sanazarro is specially favored by Cozimo's ward Fiorinda, who when she reaches her maturity will be the duchess of Urbino
Urbino
Urbino is a walled city in the Marche region of Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially under the patronage of Federico da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino from 1444 to 1482...
; Fiorinda goes so far as to give Sanazarro a diamond ring as a token of her regard. When Giovanni arrives, he requests that Fiorinda seek the Duke's permission to bring Lidia to court as one of her ladies in waiting. Other courtiers praise Lidia to the Duke; and Cozimo suspects that there may be a romantic connection between Giovanni and Lidia. This is not to his liking; the hint is that Cozimo may be planning a dynastic marriage between Giovanni and Fiorinda. Cozimo sends Sanazarro to Charomonte's country house to evaluate the young woman who may complicate his plans. Sanazarro meets Lidia—and instantly falls in love with her.
This is problematical, however; Sanazarro suspects that Cozimo is curious about Lidia because the Duke is thinking of marrying the girl himself. Back in Florence, Sanazarro shares his fears with Giovanni; neither of the young men welcomes the prospect of Cozimo marrying Lidia—and together they decide to mislead the Duke and dispraise Lidia to Cozimo. No sooner are they done running her down, however, than Fiorinda seeks out the Duke to fulfill her promise to Giovanni: she solicits permission to bring Lidia to the court, and in the process repeats all of Giovanni's lush praise of her. Cozimo is irate at the young men's patent attempt at manipulation; he decides to meet Lidia in person.
Cozimo travels to Charomonte's house with his courtiers, including Giovanni and Sanazarro; the increasingly desperate young men try to pass off a drunken serving woman as Lidia, and the Duke is temporarily fooled...only to become suspicious again after conversing with Charomonte. He meets Lidia himself, and realizes the hoodwinking that his heir and his favorite have tried to put over on him. They are quickly arrested and locked away in Charomonte's custody.
Sanazarro, shocked at his sudden fall, obtains a loose pain of glass from a window and inscribes a plea for Fiorinda's help on it, using the diamond ring she gave him; he manages to drop the glass message so that she finds it. In the closing scene's climactic confrontation, the young men express their regret at their deception and the young women plead for the Duke's forgiveness. Cozimo is reminded of his private vow to live in single widowerhood after the death of his beloved duchess; and he forgives the young men and allows the marriages of Giovanni with Lidia and Sanazarro with Fiorinda.
The play's quotient of broad comedy is supplied by Giovanni's servant Calandrino and the servants of Charomonte's household.
Sources
- Adams, William Davenport. A Dictionary of the Drama. Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott,, 1904.
- Clark, Ira. The Moral Art of Philip Massinger. Lewisburg, PA, Bucknell University Press, 1993.
- Garrett, Martin. Massinger: The Critical Heritage. London, Routledge, 1991.
- Logan, Terence P., and Denzell S. Smith, eds. The Later Jacobean and Caroline Dramatists: A Survey and Bibliography of Recent Studies in English Renaissance Drama. Lincoln, NE, University of Nebraska Press, 1978.
- Patterson, Richard Ferrar. The Story of English Literature. New York, Philosophical Library, 1947.
- Ward, Adolphus William. A History of English Dramatic Literature to the Death of Queen Anne. London, Macmillan, 1875.