Castiglione's Allegory

Veiled Policy in The Book of the Courtier (1528)

Nonfiction, History, Modern, 17th Century, Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism
Cover of the book Castiglione's Allegory by W.R. Albury, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: W.R. Albury ISBN: 9781317169475
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: April 8, 2016
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: W.R. Albury
ISBN: 9781317169475
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: April 8, 2016
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Castiglione’s Book of the Courtier (Il libro del cortegiano, 1528), a dialogue in which the interlocutors attempt to describe the perfect courtier, was one of the most influential books of the Renaissance. In recent decades a number of postmodern readings of this work have appeared, emphasizing what is often characterized as the playful indeterminacy of the text, and seeking to detect inconsistencies which are interpreted as signs of anxiety or bad faith in its presentation. In contrast to these postmodern readings, the present study conducts an experiment. What understanding does one gain of Castiglione’s book if one attempts an early modern reading? The author approaches The Book of the Courtier as a text in which some of its most important aspects are intentionally concealed and veiled in allegory. W.R. Albury argues that this early modern reading of The Book of the Courtier enables us to recover a serious political message which has a great deal of contemporary relevance and which is lost from sight when the work is approached primarily as a courtly etiquette book, or as a lament for the lost influence of the aristocracy in an age when autocratic nation-states were coming into being, or as an impersonal textual field upon which a free play of transformations and deconstructions may be performed.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Castiglione’s Book of the Courtier (Il libro del cortegiano, 1528), a dialogue in which the interlocutors attempt to describe the perfect courtier, was one of the most influential books of the Renaissance. In recent decades a number of postmodern readings of this work have appeared, emphasizing what is often characterized as the playful indeterminacy of the text, and seeking to detect inconsistencies which are interpreted as signs of anxiety or bad faith in its presentation. In contrast to these postmodern readings, the present study conducts an experiment. What understanding does one gain of Castiglione’s book if one attempts an early modern reading? The author approaches The Book of the Courtier as a text in which some of its most important aspects are intentionally concealed and veiled in allegory. W.R. Albury argues that this early modern reading of The Book of the Courtier enables us to recover a serious political message which has a great deal of contemporary relevance and which is lost from sight when the work is approached primarily as a courtly etiquette book, or as a lament for the lost influence of the aristocracy in an age when autocratic nation-states were coming into being, or as an impersonal textual field upon which a free play of transformations and deconstructions may be performed.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book The Essentials of M&A Due Diligence by W.R. Albury
Cover of the book The Transcendence of the Cave (Routledge Revivals) by W.R. Albury
Cover of the book Speech for the Stage by W.R. Albury
Cover of the book Ideas and Intervention (RLE Social Theory) by W.R. Albury
Cover of the book Re-Imagining the Museum by W.R. Albury
Cover of the book Collaboration and the Future of Education by W.R. Albury
Cover of the book Primitive Photography by W.R. Albury
Cover of the book Cultures, Politics, and Research Programs by W.R. Albury
Cover of the book The Historical and Institutional Context of Roman Law by W.R. Albury
Cover of the book Cities on a Finite Planet by W.R. Albury
Cover of the book Revival: The Business of Insurance (1904) by W.R. Albury
Cover of the book Introducing Economics: A Critical Guide for Teaching by W.R. Albury
Cover of the book The Soft Underbelly of Reason by W.R. Albury
Cover of the book Theory of Psychoanalytical Practice by W.R. Albury
Cover of the book Psychotherapy of the Disorders of the Self by W.R. Albury
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy