CURSES AND LAUGHTER: THE ETHICS OFPOLITICALINVECTIVE INTHE COMICPOETRYOFHIGH AND LATEMEDIEVALITALY by NICOLINO APPLAUSO A DISSERTATION Presentedto the DepartmentofRomance Languages and the Graduate School ofthe UniversityofOregon inpartial fulfillment oftherequirements forthe degreeof DoctorofPhilosophy June 2010 11 University ofOregon Graduate School Confirmation ofApproval and Acceptance ofDissertation prepared by: Nicolino Applauso Title: "Curses and Laughter: The Ethics ofPolitical Invective in the Comic Poetry ofHigh and Late Medieval Italy" This dissertation has been accepted and approved inpartial fulfillment ofthe requirements for the Doctor ofPhilosophy degree in the DepartmentofRomance Languages by: Regina Psaki, Chairperson, Romance Languages Massimo Lollini, Member, Romance Languages David Wacks, Member, Romance Languages Steven Shankman, Outside Member, English and Richard Linton, Vice President for Research and Graduate StudieslDean ofthe Graduate School for the University ofOregon. June 14,2010 Original approval signatures are on file with the Graduate School and the University ofOregon Libraries. III © 2010 Nicolino Applauso iv AnAbstract ofthe Dissertation of Nicolino Applauso for the degree of DoctorofPhilosophy in theDepartment ofRomance Languages to betaken June 2010 Title: CURSES AND LAUGHTER: THE ETHICS OF POLITICAL INVECTIVE IN THE COMIC POETRY OF HIGH AND LATE MEDIEVAL ITALY Approved: _ Dr. F. ReginaPsaki Mydissertation examines the ethical engagement ofpolitical invectivepoetryin thirteenth- and fourteenth-century Italy. Modem criticismtends to treatmedieval invectiveas aplayfully subversivebutmarginal poetic game withminimal ethical weight. Instead, I aimto restore these poeticproductions to theiroriginal context: the history, law, and custom ofTuscan cities. This contexts allows meto explorehow humor and fury, in the denunciation ofpolitical enemies, interactto establishnot a game but an ethics ofinvective. Itreat ethics as boththeoretical andpractical, referring to Aristotle, Cicero, and Brunetto Latini, and define ethics as thepursuit ofthecommon good in a defined community. ChapterI introduces the corpus, itshistorical and culturalbackground, its critical reception, and my approach. ChapterII discusses medieval invective inTuscany and surveys the culturalpractice ofinvectivewriting. ChapterIII approaches invectives v writtenbyRustico Filippi during the Guelph and Ghibellinewars. Chapter IV explores invectivesby Cecco Angiolieri setin Siena, whichpolemicizewith the Sienese government and citizenry. ChapterV examines invectives inDante's Commedia (Irif. 19, Purg. 6, andPar. 27), focusing onhis unexpected humor andhis critique ofthepapacy, the empire, and Italian city governments. Myconclusion examines the ethical function ofslanderous witin wartime invective. These poemsbalanceverbal aggression withhumor, claiming arole for laughterin creatingdialogue within conflict. Far from astylistic orludic exercise, each invective shows thepoet's activism and ethical engagement. This dissertationincludes previouslypublished material. vi CURRICULUMVITAE NAME OF AUTHOR: NicolinoApplauso GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLSATTENDED: UniversityofOregon, Eugene FloridaStateUniversity, Florida UniversityofSouthFlorida Universitadi Bologna, Italy DEGREESAWARDED: DoctorofPhilosophyinRomance Languages, 2010, UniversityofOregon MasterofArts inItalian, 2004, FloridaStateUniversity BachelorofArts inItalian, 2002, UniversityofSouthFlorida AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST: Medieval Italianliterature and comicpoetry Dante andthe originofItalianliterature Medievalhistory, paleography, and codicology Risorgimento andPost-Risorgimento literature Fascism andthe literatureofthe Resistance Italianpost-warnovel Italian Cinema PROFESSIONALEXPERIENCE: GraduateTeaching Fellow, Department ofRomance Languages, University ofOregon, Eugene, 2004-2010 ItalianTeaching Assistant, DepartmentofModemLanguages andLinguistics, FloridaStateUniversity, 2002-2004 Vll GRANTS, AWARDS AND HONORS: Beall Doctoral Scholarship, Department ofRomance Languages, University ofOregon, Spring & Winter2009-10. OregonHumanities Center, GraduateDissertationFellowship. PUBLICATIONS: Applauso, Nicolino. "Curses andLaughterinMedieval ItalianComic Poetry: The Ethics ofHumor inRustico Filippi's Invectives." Forthcoming in Laughterin theMiddleAges andtheEarlyModern Age. Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies. Ed. AlbrechtClassen. New York: Walterde Gruyter,2010. Vlll ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am grateful to anumberofpeople anddepartments thatwere essential forthe completionofthisproject. Ihadavery enriching experience attheUniversityofOregon. I receivedvaluableprofessional guidance, encouragement, and supportbeyond any expectations from myadvisorProfessorF. ReginaPsaki. Herencouragement, asmy chair, providedme withenduring confidence. She is an example ofhow important faculty canbeto the academic success ofhis/herstudents. She conveyedcomplex concepts inahumorous andcaring way. Shepushedme to raise the caliberofmy researchtogether withall mycommitteemembers: ProfessorLollini, ProfessorWacks, andProfessor Shankman. ProfessorLolliniwasvery helpful onboth professional and personallevels as he inspiredme topursuethe ethical value ofcomicpoetry. Professor Wacks' and Shankman's contagious enthusiasm and acuteness also contributedto the developmentofmyresearch. I amalso verygrateful to ProfessorCheyneyRyan forhis inspiring seminars onEthics and Emmanuel Levinas, whichhadacrucial intellectual impactonme andmydissertation. I am grateful for the financial supportgivento mebythe department ofRomance Languages andthe OregonHumanities Center. Bothprovidedme respectively withthe Beall GraduateDissertationScholarship andthe OregonHumanities CenterGraduate DissertationFellowship, whichwerecrucialto advancementmyresearch. IX I wouldnothave been able to complete my dissertationwithout the emotional supportofmy loving wife Jeannette, and my two boys, Antonio and Luca. The boys gave me much needed stressreliefthroughhorseplayand hugs. I am gratefulto mywife for herstable supportand encouragementthatwas crucialto complete suchaproject. She took care ofall ofourfamily needs so thatI could focus my energyoncompletingthis work. Sheputaside everythingto bemy secondhand and eye. Shebuiltme up when I was lowand rejoicedwith me through everycompletedphase. Shebelieves in me, depends onme, serves me, loves me, and gives me strength. The constantencouragement ofmy mother, brother, and aunttouched me deeply, evenifitreached me from afar. They haveprovidedmewithmuchconfidence and cheerfullypushed meto succeed. I am gratefulto my colleagues, friends, and acquaintances with whom Ihadmany enlightening conversations aboutmy research. Inparticular, Iwouldliketo thankMartha Bayless, FabianAlfie, and Italo nocetti fortheir invaluable constructive criticism. I will also liketo acknowledge Professors CristinaCalhoon, MarthaBayless, MaryJaeger, andPhebe Lowell Bowditch for theirhelpful insights on difficultpassages inLatin. I am againindebtedto mywife, JeannetteApplauso, who helped me to smooth the verbal surfaceRachel Fellman, Arwen Spicerand SharityNelsonwho also reviewed this work Last, butnotleast, myparents Pasquale andAnnamariaApplauso, whohave taught me to endure andpersistinpursuing a goal until itis achieved. x A tutte Ie vittime di abusi, ingiustiziee soprusi, chenonperdanomai Ia speranzaeIa gioiadi ridere, anche di fronte aIle atrocitaeagii obbrobri piudevastanti; Che continuino a usare il sacrosanto diritto deIl'invettiva unendo Ie discordie con il sorriso, rispettando Ia vitapropriaedegli altri e suggerendo soluzionipratiche agii uomini di tutto ilmondo.