Guido Ruggiero's the Boundaries of Eros: Sex Crime and Sexuality in Renaissance Venice

Giovanni and Lusanna by Gene Brucker is an organized depiction of the two Florentine lovers, Giovanni della Casa and his lover Lusanna. The story of these two lovers begin on their secret 12 year affair, but ends in calamity when Lusanna’s brother Benedetto Girolamo files a lawsuit against Giovanni claiming he had broken his marriage vows by marrying an aristocratic woman Marietta. The book goes into full detail with notaries, archbishops, deceiving witnesses, and slut shaming. A scandal that breaks social norms in 15th century Florence, this book was written with expressiveness, intellect and interest that is surely able to keep the reader intrigued.

Through the study of the records of courts, both secular and ecclesiastical, which exists in thousands of European and American archives and libraries, a patient and careful researcher can reconstruct particular images of “the world we have lost” and of the people who inhabited that world. From this vast, largely untapped repository of judicial records, Gene Brucker uses the notarial protocols of Ser Filippo Mazzei, which contains the transcripts of the litigation in the archiepiscopal court and the catasto records, which provides information about Florentine households, to piece together the dossier of Giovanni and Lusanna. The story of Giovanni and Lusanna explores the love and marriage in renaissance Florence and uncovers the gradation of the city’s social hierarchy and the role of women in society.

The Courtier, originally written as a “courtesy book”, can now be considered to provide significant insight into the norms and practices associated with courtship and gender during the Renaissance era. The book’s third volume is a particularly insightful window into 16th century romantic ideals. Throughout Book Three, Baldassare Castiglione builds an elaborate perspective on what makes the perfect court lady, what sexual and social behavior is acceptable, and how an ideal couple (both courtier and court lady) should function.

During the Renaissance period, sexuality impacted how people, both men and women, were treated and how they behaved. The lives of women were completely defined by the ideals of sexuality that were enforced during that time. Every area of a woman’s life from birth was influenced by outside influences rather than by they themselves. It took a particular type of woman to break past the clearly defined description of what a “Renaissance woman” should be.

The ethics of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) generally emphasize the necessity of morality and reason when it comes to certain actions. In his Moral Philosophy lecture, he discusses the essential human action of sexual desire and impulse. When reading Of Duties Towards the Body in Respect of Sexual Impulse, Kant describes why sexual impulses are immoral and how marriage is the only condition under which sexual impulses are permitted. Kant is right about certain sexual impulses being immoral but sex only after marriage isn’t as common as it used to be in his day and age. In this essay, I plan to argue how Kant’s views on moral and immoral sexual impulses are still present in today’s society but have changed over time. I am convinced that this is

Giovanni and Lusanna: Love and Marriage in Renaissance Florence by Gene Brucker provides a unique look into the life of commoners in the 15th century. This book follows the 1455 court case surrounding the alleged marriage between Giovanni della Casa and Lusanna, the daughter of Maestro Benedetto di Girolamo. Throughout this trial testimonies, from witnesses with a vast array of socioeconomic backgrounds are presented. These were people whose voices would likely have never been heard if not for this case. This particular cross-section of people creates a very clear picture of the hierarchical system in place during the renaissance. Throughout this book, it becomes clear that each person had his or her place within society.

Laura J. McGough’s Gender, Sexuality, and Syphilis in Early Modern Venice opens immediately in the dawn of the 16th century, when France invaded Italy. This invasion brought diseases previously foreign to the area that immediately became linked to the French and the destruction of Italian institutions. McGough quickly defines the illness she will examine, which is not necessarily Syphilis as indicated in title. The disease is a more broadly encompassing ‘French disease’ and while frequently considered to be, it is too broad to claim that all cases were syphilis. This book endeavours to describe the social and cultural history of the French disease, and its’ endemic history. Inability to look at the entire situation means the French disease

The medieval church taught that women were inferior to men and that they should be compliant and obedient to their fathers and husbands. Men look down to women as their respect for their ladies are limited as in Canterbury Tales were these women start out as beneath men. These same men who feel the need to arrogate women of their dignity find their fate is later put into the women’s hands. Although a women is taciturn and does not speak out to the men and talk of their animadversion toward the men’s behavior, these same ladies have the power to then decide how these men should serve their punishment for their sacrileges and unruly decisions as in the “Wife of Bath’s Tale”, were after his life was saved by an old lady, in return this old women requested to him to “take me as your wife” (p.138). A women’s love and passion should be approached with appreciation and admiration otherwise being inconsiderate and impassionate will turn a women against a man.

In this essay, I will argue that Bonnie Steinbock suggesting that adultery could possibly be permissible is unacceptable because of the following reasons: betrayal and that you are making a commitment with someone. I will demonstrate that my thesis is correct by using the Kantianism theory. Then, I will explain Steinbock’s argument. Next, I will explain my thinking for reason number one, and for reason number two on how it supports my argument. Following, I will address an objection and respond to that, and then conclude my argument.

  In eighteenth century novels, a common means of discussing the role of women in society is through the characterization of two good sisters. The heroine of such a novel is a pure, kind young woman who also has a streak of spunkiness. Her sister may be more good and kind, but she is more submissive and reserved. I would like to look at these sisters (and their mothers) in Ann Radcliffe’s A Sicilian Romance , and The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole.

with another person, they can not resist temptation, and they simply have a desire for entertainment. Emilia proposes the question, “What is it that they do when they change us for others? Is it sport? I think it is” (Act IV, scene iii, lines 99-100). This is how couples behave today as well. Both men and women are unfaithful in relationships. Both men and women leave their partner either because of love with another person, temptation, or a desire for “sport”. As a result of this behavior, there are more and more divorces every year. There are talk shows on television that help couples with their marriage issues and reality shows that consist of unfaithful spouses. Also, there are a variety of shows that portray cheating between couples as acceptable, all proof that disloyalty is a common problem among many couples today.

The renaissance is a time of reform, change, and enlightenment. Artist, poets, and writer, prosper in this time period. Everything seems to being going so well until politics and the Catholic Church is brought into the mix. Both heavily mix, especially in Italy, were the Rome which the capital of the Catholic Church is located. Corrupt families come into power. With these families come murder and scandal. Two very prominent families of the time are the Borgia’s and Medici’s. Both families are notorious of their murders, and scandals.

The meaning of sexual abuse has transformed throughout history, especially when referring to child sexual abuse. In ancient times children were view as property, primarily females. The girls were view as belonging to their father. Therefore what they could do and who they could marry was determined by the father. Their very existence was defined by his need. However, females were not the only ones that were subjects to these treatments, young boys also underwent a similar experience. In ancient Greece boys were given to wealthy men by their parents so that they could be sexually trained and used for their own pleasure. This was thought to be useful in order for them to be ready for adulthood (deMaude, 1995; Rush, 1992; Hilarski, 2008).

In the first quadrant, the speaker examines both sides of the young man’s life where he looks at the darker and better sides but most importantly demonstrating the way he misuses his good-looking ability to commit sexual crimes. However, the speaker does not condemn it openly but appreciates his good look “how sweet and lovely” (1), but

Though the prioress is a religious figure who is suppose to be practicing moderation, piousness, and charity, she is instead refining behavior that is expected of the courts, which is unnecessary in religious institutions. The extensive description of her elegant attire and courtly manners paints a portrait of excessive pompousness and arrogance. The extravagance of the nun’s clothes also shows that rather than living in humble poverty, the nun is living a lavish life, which portrays her in a corrupt light because she does not abide by the teachings of the convent. The nun further demeans religious codes through her obsession with worldliness. The nun’s boundless love for her dogs, and the tears that she sheds for animals demean the respect and love that she should be directing towards God because she shows that she loves the material more than she does anything else. Her brooch that reads “Amor vincit omnia” (162) is a display of her affection towards worldly material items because her love is imprinted on her brooch instead of being expressed through her actions. The nun’s focus on worldly items reflects the corruption that was overtaking religious institutions as more individuals within it began to incorporate the ambitions and ideals of aristocracy into their religious practices.