La Cintia by Giambattista della Porta

"La Cintia" by Giambattista della Porta is a theatrical comedy written in the early 17th century. This work intricately navigates themes of love, identity, and deception, focusing on the central character Cintia, who disguises herself as a male to navigate the complexities of her romantic involvements. The narrative unfolds primarily in Naples, offering insights into the societal norms and expectations of the era regarding gender and relationships. The opening of "La Cintia" sets a vibrant stage, with characters discussing the grand spectacle of a theatrical performance that is about to take place. The prologue introduces Sebeto, a river personified, who marvels at the magnificence of Naples, hinting at the cultural backdrop against which the play is set. As the scene progresses, we meet Cintia, who speaks with her old servant Mitiato about her unrequited feelings towards Lidia and her father's desire for her to marry. Cintia reveals her secret of being female while masquerading as a man, setting off a chain of events filled with misunderstandings and romantic entanglements that promise to unfold throughout the play. The dialogue is rich with humor and emotional tension, establishing Cintia not only as a clever and strong-willed character but also as a victim of societal pressures regarding love and identity. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

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About this eBook

Author Porta, Giambattista della, 1535?-1615
Title La Cintia
Credits Produced by Claudio Paganelli and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (Images generously made available by Editore Laterza and the Biblioteca Italiana at www.bibliotecaitaliana.it/ScrittoriItalia)
Reading Level Reading ease score: 62.9 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.
Language Italian
LoC Class PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Subject Italian drama
Category Text
eBook-No. 25198
Release Date
Copyright Public domain in the USA.
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