ITAL30260 Politics and Morals in Renaissance Italy

Academic Year 2022/2023

When does the Renaissance begin and end? Which is the difference between the ‘Renaissance’ and the ‘Early Modern period’? What do we mean by the notions of ‘Humanism’ and ‘Classicism’? This module primarily aims to enable students to develop an informed understanding of these concepts, their meanings and (different) periodizations. It then introduces the fundamental topic of the relationship between politics and morals, which was at the core of Renaissance thought. Students will engage with this topic through the study of two masterpieces of Italian Renaissance literature, both written by Niccolò Machiavelli: Il Principe (The Prince, 1513), considered as the first political text in the history of European culture, and his La Mandragola (The Mandrake, 1518ca.), one of the first new comedies in Italian and European theatre. Through the investigation of the significant proposed case studies, students will be introduced to some core themes, such as: the relationship of Renaissance authors with classical antiquity; political institutions and thought; the role of women in Renaissance societies; the debate about the vernacular and the difference between written and spoken language.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
- analyse the proposed Renaissance texts in terms of both form and content through providing a detailed critical reading of them;
- demonstrate familiarity with the structure and function of Italian courts in the light of Renaissance history and politics;
- develop an awareness of the complexities surrounding definitions of ‘Renaissance’, ‘Early modern period’, ‘Humanism’, and ‘Classicism’;
- engage effectively in class and tutorial discussions, presenting personal ideas or critical readings orally;
- complete written assignements, focusing on content, structure, style of the analysed texts.

Indicative Module Content:

Reading of the following books (in Italian):
Niccolò Machiavelli, Il principe, and La Mandragola

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

12
Tutorial

12
Specified Learning Activities

32
Autonomous Student Learning

56
Total

112
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
All classes are scheduled according to the university timetable.
Active participation in these classes is required.
In addition to that, full engagement with material and tasks made accessible in Brightspace is expected every week. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Additional Information:
The knowledge of Italian language.


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Class Test: Timed essay/commentary on Machiavelli's Il principe Week 7 n/a Standard conversion grade scale 40% No

50
Presentation: Narrated PowerPoint presentation on Machiavelli's La Mandragola Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Standard conversion grade scale 40% No

50

Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Students will receive individual feedback after the assessment.


1) COMPULSORY PRIMARY SOURCES (IN ITALIAN)

• Niccolò Machiavelli, Il principe, ed. by G. Inglese (Turin: Einaudi, 2014; or other Italian edition)

• Niccolò Machiavelli, Mandragola, ed. by Eric Haywood (Dublin: UCD Foundation for Italian Studies, 2002; or other Italian edition)

2) SECONDARY READINGS

• Skinner, Q., Machiavelli: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000) [Library or Bookshop]

• Andrews, R., Theatre, in The Cambridge History of Italian Literature ed. by P. Brand and L. Pertile (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997) pp. 277–298 [on Brightspace]


3) OTHER USEFUL SOURCES AND ARTICLES AVAILABLE ON BRIGHTSPACE

On Machiavelli’s Il Principe:
• N. Machiavelli, Letter to Francesco Vettori (1513);
• N. Machiavelli’s Descrizione del modo tenuto dal duca Valentino nello ammazzare Vitellozzo Vitelli...;
• Advice to rulers before Machiavelli;
• Anthologies of texts on Machiavelli’s reception;
• F. Bausi, ‘«L’aureo libro moral». Circolazione e fortuna del Principe prima della stampa (1516-1531)’, in Machiavelli Cinquecento. Mezzo millennio del Principe, a cura di G.M. Anselmi, R. Caporali, C. Galli (Milan-Udine: Mimesis, 2015), pp. 25-41;
• R. Blake, ‘The Prince: Message and Meaning’, in Blake, Machiavelli (London: Routledge, 2013), pp. 99-126;
• W. Connell, ‘The Puzzle of The Prince’, in Connell, The Prince with Related Documents (Boston: Bedford, 2015), pp. 1-34.

On Machiavelli’s La Mandragola:
• W.P. Baumgarth, ‘Deception and Enlightenment: The Politics of Machiavelli's The Mandragola’, Perspectives on Political Science, 44(1) (2015), pp. 55–62.
• K. Eisenbichler, ‘Sex and Marriage in Machiavelli’s Mandragola: A Close(t) Reading’, Renaissance and Reformation, 40(1) (2017), 13–35.
• B. Turner, ‘Privates Vices, Public Benefits: Mandragola in Machiavelli’s Political Theory’, Polity, 48(1) (2016), 109–132.
• H. Mansfield, ‘The Cuckold in Machiavelli’s Mandragola’, in The Comedy and Tragedy of Machiavelli: Essays on the Literary Works, ed. by Vickie B. Sullivan (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2000), pp. 1–29.
• R. Andrews, ‘Scripts and Scenarios’, in Andrews, The Performance of Comedy in Renaissance Italy (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993), pp. 31–63.
• H. Wright, ‘Lucrezia in Mandragola: Machiavelli’s New Prince’, Interpretation 36(2) (2009), 145–164.
• M. O’Brien, ‘The Root of the Mandrake: Machiavelli and Manliness’, in Feminist Interpretations of Niccolò Machiavelli, ed. by Maria Falco (University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2004), pp. 173–195.
Name Role
Assoc Professor Paolo Acquaviva Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Professor Ursula Fanning Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Serena Laiena Lecturer / Co-Lecturer