Women

Women have a particular importance in the Furioso as is made clear by their mention in the first verse of the first canto.  Alongside the official recipients of the book (Ippolito d’Este and family), Ariosto looks to another horizon that gives him a freer hand with the public: the horizon of women, second level recipients of this romance, but not for this with a background role with respect to the institutional recipients. Behind the presence of women, often praised, treated with homage, admired, such as is the case with Lucrezia Borgia (XIII, 69-71; XLII, 83, 1-2) or Isabella d’Este Gonzaga (XIII, 59, 68; XLI,67; XLII, 84) is hidden the amorous attention for Alessandra Benucci, never explicitly named but almost certainly the recipient of the octaves in XLII, 93-95. The women linked to loves allow the poet recognition of his identity; taxing the poet’s genius, they allow the self conscience of the author who sees himself projected, like the knight Orlando, into the menacing universe of error and folly (even though Ariosto does not loose his mind). Among the most significant references to be found in the work are: ‘Le donne antique hanno mirabil cose / fatto nell’arme e ne le sacre muse’ (XX, 1, 1-2); ‘Cortesi donne e grate al vostro amante, / voi che d’un solo amor sète contente’ (XXII, 1, 1-2); ‘Molti consigli de le donne sono / meglio improviso, ch’a pensarvi usciti’ (XXVII, 1, 1-2); ‘Donne, e voi che le donne avete in pregio’ (XXVIII, 1,1); ‘Che d’alcune dirò belle e gran donne’ (XLIII, 4); ‘Oh di che belle e saggie donne veggio’ (XLVI, 3, 1). The book is however not without a certain misogynous undercurrent that, albeit within a context of aperture and homage towards women, fairly frequently shows examples of misogynous attacks such as the one at the end of XXIX. But beyond a moment of misogynous ire Ariosto does not go, as is evident from what he says at the beginning of the following canto XXX.