Chris Smith
section 431
Giovanni and Lusanna
The Renaissance is often imagined by many as a magical time. It was a period where the human race produced the most interesting inventions and profound ideals that later became the foundation for the modern culture and government we know today. However, hidden beneath the blanket of magic was a time full of unrest, political corruption, and old traditional ideals that developed into unwritten “rules” forced upon society. Guiding behaviors such as how a “good” wife or a “good” widow should behave, or such “rules” notably broken are prevalent in the famous true story of Giovanni and Lusanna. It is a Renaissance chronicle about a woman who is ...view middle of the document...
All of these accusations were created to blacken Lusanna’s reputation in society. A family or person’s reputation was held with the utmost value. As Gene Brucker, author of Giovanni and Lusanna, states, “Giovanni’s party sought to blacken Lusanna’s reputation, depicting her as no better than a prostitute, as someone whose social condition would disqualify her from marriage”(26). Giovanni was trying to show how even if the marriage was legal she should be disqualified of being a wife due to her breaking the unwritten “rules” of society.
Aside from the obvious faults Lusanna committed, such as contracting sexual relations with Giovanni while still married to her first husband, she was still questioned about her actions as a widow; and if indeed they were considered the right behavior for a widow. It is known that soon after the death of her first husband, Lusanna went out directly to find Giovanni. Good behavior for a widow during the Renaissance was to have a time of mourning. This was something Lusanna did not demonstrate. She completely neglected grieving the passing of her late husband, and solely set out to find her love.
The wedding ceremony of Giovanni and Lusana is a main aspect of this case that was not normal for society during the Renaissance. Common ceremonies were exposed to the public; therefore, everyone would know that the couples were rightfully wedded. The ceremony between...