‘In fair Verona where we lay our scene’: The Inspiration and Treatment of Italy In Shakespeare’s Plays

Podda, Alessandra (2023) ‘In fair Verona where we lay our scene’: The Inspiration and Treatment of Italy In Shakespeare’s Plays. Doctoral thesis, The University of Buckingham.

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Abstract

This paper examines the role of fifteenth- and sixteenth- century Italian location, society, and individuals on the works of William Shakespeare. By examining the Italianate works of the playwright, I strive to understand what connected Shakespeare to his Italian sources, locations, and literature. The thesis is interested in how as much as why Shakespeare was influenced by Italy. By incorporating detailed analysis of the Italianate and Roman plays, connections to Italian literature, and examining clues left by Shakespeare’s contemporaries, this study demonstrates the difficulty in attempting to uncover a certain answer to the question of how Shakespeare was able to access different aspects of Italy including its writers, literature, and geographical layout. This paper will consider Shakespeare’s education, social connections, and personal experiences when discussing the connection between the playwright and Italy. It argues that Shakespeare would have had enough education to aid him in reading certain pieces of Italian literature without a translation, helping him to recall information from the Roman Empire he would have learnt, and Latin literature on famous individuals he would have studied. It will also look at the reception that Italy has given Shakespeare; examining how famous cities have embraced, appropriated, and adapted their location to fit Shakespeare’s version. Understanding the link between one of England’s most famous playwright and Italy is important when thinking about what inspired the tales that have become ingrained within different elements of human society all over the world.

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