Literature of antiquity and the Middle Ages - Summary - 2019

Comedy about the chest
Ludovico Ariosto (1474-1533)

The action of the first "learned" comedy in Italy takes place on the Metellino Island in the uncertain "ancient" times. In the poem prologue, it is declared that contemporary authors may well enjoy the ancient skills, although the Italian language is still inferior to Greek and Latin.

The play begins with the fact that the young man, Erofilo, orders his servants to go to Filostrato and indignant at the stubbornness of Nebbia, who obviously does not want to leave the house. The reasons for this collision are revealed in the dialogue of servants. Nebba tells Jande that there are two lovely girls in the neighboring wanderer Lukrano: Erofilo has fallen in love with one of them, and the son of the local bassam (ruler) of Caridora is in love with another. The merchant broke the price in hopes of disposing a large piece of wealth from wealthy young people, but they are entirely dependent on their fathers. But the old man, Crisbono, left for several days, instructing the guard of property to a faithful housekeeper, and Erofilo took advantage of the occasion: he brought all the slaves to the time, except for the scam Volpino, his warder, he removed the keys, putting the stick in motion. Now a young man in love will start his hand in father's goodness, and then he blames the ill-fated Nebbia. In response to these complaints, Janda advises not to interrupt his master's son, the legitimate heir of wealth and slaves.

In the next scene, Eulalia and Koriski meet with Erofilo and Caridoro. Girls seduce young men with reproaches - they are generous in oaths and sighs, but they do nothing to rescue their beloved from the bondage. Young people complain about the plight of the fathers, but promise to act decisively. Cariodo picks up Erofilo: if his father had depart at least a day, he would have cleaned the treasures for a long time. Erofilo says that for the sake of Eulalia she is ready for everything and today she will free her with Volpino. Lovers diverge, seeing Aukrano. The merchant pretends to live up to how to pull more money for the girls. Very incidentally the ship, which tomorrow or the day after tomorrow sailed to Syria, turned upside down. Lucrano agreed with the witnesses with the captain so that he took him on board with all households and good, - having learned about this, Erofilo will unload.

Further the main role belongs to Volpino and Fulcho - servants of young lovers. Volpino sets out his plan: Erofilo should steal from his father's chest a chest, painted with gold, and immediately declare the loss of the bass. Meanwhile, the friend Volpino, dressed in a merchant, will hand this expensive thing to the bidder as a pledge for Eulalia. When the watchman is set, Lugano will open, but who will believe him? Any maiden has a red price of fifty ducats, and the chest costs not less than a thousand. The builder will surely be imprisoned, and then hanged or even quartered - to universal pleasure. After some fluctuations, Erofilo agrees, and another servant goes to the stage - Trappola. He is dressed in Crisbolo clothes, handed a chest and sent to Lukrano. The contract is made quickly, and Triplola takes Eulalia away from the house of the freighter.

At this time, a drunken company runs along the street: slaves of Erofilo were very pleased in the house of Philostrato, where they fed well and generously poyat. Only Nebbya continues to grieve, suspecting that the good will not end and all the troubles fall into his head. Seeing Eulalia from Trappol and smirking that the seller sold it to her, they all decided to serve the young owner together and easily beat the girl, instructing Trappolis bruises. Volpino comes in despair: the security has remained with the bidder, and Eulalia is abducted by unknown robbers. Volpino asks Erofilo first to get rid of the chest, but all in vain - a disgruntled young man, forgetting about everything, throws himself in search of a lover. Lucrano is triumphant: for a naughty girl he was given a chest of filigree work, and besides, stuffed with golden parchia! Previously, the pimp prepared for departure only for sight, but now this trick is useful to him - at dawn, he will leave Metellino forever, leaving a silly merchant with his nose.

Volpino falls into the trap. The clever plan turned against him himself, and at the top of all the misfortunes of the house Krysobolo returns. The old man is in anxiety, rightly supposing that it is impossible to wait anything good from the wasteful son and the purifying servants. Volpino confirms his worst suspicions: the donkey Nebbia did not look at the hostess's room, and from there they carried a chest of parchments. But the matter can still be corrected, because the robbery neighbor seems to have stolen, apparently. The battalion immediately sends a servant to the bassam Criton, to his best friend. The search brings brilliant results: the chest is found in the house of Lucrano. Volpino is ready to transfer the spirit, but his new trouble is being watched: he completely forgot that Trappola is still in the house in the master's cafeteria. The old man will recognize his dress at a glance. Trappolas grab like a thief. Volpino recognizes him - this is known to all dumb, which can only be explained by signs. Smeary Trappola begins to waving his hands, and Volpino transfers: Krishobolo presented one of the servants to the unhappy one - high, ugly, with a big nose and a gray head. Nebbi is ideally suited to this description, but here Krysobolo remembers how caught with a cursory scribe shouted, as if the chest was handed to him by a certain merchant in rich clothes. Under the threat of the gallows Trappola finds the gift of speech and admits that he gave the chest in a pledge for a girl by order of Erofilo and instigating Volpino. Enraged Krysobolo orders to capture Volpino in shackles, and threatens his son with a fatherly curse. One of the servants presented the clothes to Krishobolo to the unfortunate - high, ugly, with a big nose and a gray head. Nebbi is ideally suited to this description, but here Krysobolo remembers how caught with a cursory scribe shouted, as if the chest was handed to him by a certain merchant in rich clothes. Under the threat of the gallows Trappola finds the gift of speech and admits that he gave the chest in a pledge for a girl by order of Erofilo and instigating Volpino. Enraged Krysobolo orders to capture Volpino in shackles, and threatens his son with a fatherly curse. One of the servants presented the clothes to Krishobolo to the unfortunate - high, ugly, with a big nose and a gray head. Nebbi is ideally suited to this description, but here Krysobolo remembers how caught with a cursory scribe shouted, as if the chest was handed to him by a certain merchant in rich clothes. Under the threat of the gallows Trappola finds the gift of speech and admits that he gave the chest in a pledge for a girl by order of Erofilo and instigating Volpino. Enraged Krysobolo orders to capture Volpino in shackles, and threatens his son with a fatherly curse. that he gave the chest in pledge for the girl on the order of Erofilo and instigating Volpino. Enraged Krysobolo orders to capture Volpino in shackles, and threatens his son with a fatherly curse. that he gave the chest in pledge for the girl on the order of Erofilo and instigating Volpino. Enraged Krysobolo orders to capture Volpino in shackles, and threatens his son with a fatherly curse.

Now Fulgo takes the matter, who can not prove to prove that he will not yield to anyone, even Volpino, in cunning. To begin with, the servant Caridotra hastened to Lukrano with his friendly advice to carry off his feet as soon as possible - the stolen chest was found with the witnesses, and the bass had already ordered the thief to be lifted. Having caught up with fear of the vendor, Fulgo goes to Erofilo with a story about what happened next. Lukrano begged for salvation, and Fulcho, breaking off for some time, took the poor to Carido, he did not immediately succumb, and Fulcio whispered to the promoter that it was necessary to send for Korysk; in her presence, the Bassam's son would become more conciliatory. Everything was perfectly fine: it remains to get Volpino out of troubles and get money for Lukrano, who wants to run, but can not, because he was left without money. Fulcho goes to Crisibol with news, that Erofilo was entangled in an extremely unpleasant story, but the bass Critonet is ready to close his eyes to this case if Lucrano does not begin to lodge a complaint. It is easy to cheer the wider - you only have to pay him for the maiden Eulalia, because of which the cheese is burned out. An old skunk, a hearty heart, shares with a round sum and agrees that Volpino should participate in talks with the bootleg - alas, there is no house in the second such cunning man, and the lack of affection of any son will strike around his finger!

At the end of the play, Fulgo, with full reason, calls himself the triumphant commander: the enemies are defeated and confused without any bloodshed. Volpino, released from punishment, gratefully commends her companion. Erofilo rejoices: thanks to Fulcho, he received not only Eulalia, but also money for its content. But the hero of the day invites spectators to go home - Lucrano is going to hang out, and his witnesses are completely unnecessary.