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Jan. 11th, 2007 12:32 amI have been, for some reason unbeknownst to me, reading Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, in the 1591 translation by Sir John Harrington. It's alot of fun, in a hard-to-follow way. There's at least six main characters, all of whom have backstory from Orlando Innamorato, to which this is supposed to be a sequel, and of course it's "based on" Roland. Very loosely based on.
Anyway, at one point Renaldo comes across a woman who is condemed to die for infidelity, and he speaks in her favor, including this interesting stanza:
Sith like the fancies doth possess
Both of the male and female gender
To do that thing that fools count great excess
And quench the flame that Cupid doth engender,
To grant the men more scope, the women less,
Is law for which no reason we can render;
Men using many are never ashamèd,
But women using one or two are blamèd.
Ariosto, in 1516 protests a situation that has lasted to this day, and condemns it, rather than taking the stance that women are asexual beings, and condones rather than condemns their (our?) behavior. I'm impressed, and I think it's really cool.
Also, I went to Anna Netrebko's signing in the city, and she signed the CD with a little heart at the end of her name, and she has the cutest accent ever. And I didn't even have to miss class.
Anyway, at one point Renaldo comes across a woman who is condemed to die for infidelity, and he speaks in her favor, including this interesting stanza:
Both of the male and female gender
To do that thing that fools count great excess
And quench the flame that Cupid doth engender,
To grant the men more scope, the women less,
Is law for which no reason we can render;
Men using many are never ashamèd,
But women using one or two are blamèd.
Ariosto, in 1516 protests a situation that has lasted to this day, and condemns it, rather than taking the stance that women are asexual beings, and condones rather than condemns their (our?) behavior. I'm impressed, and I think it's really cool.
Also, I went to Anna Netrebko's signing in the city, and she signed the CD with a little heart at the end of her name, and she has the cutest accent ever. And I didn't even have to miss class.
