ITALIAN R5B Lecture 7: #7 2/5 Monday
21 May 2018
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#7 2/5 Monday
Does the novel have a happy ending?
“Happy”
“Unhappy”
Rightful heir restored
Manfred kills matilda
Theodore gets married (the
marriage plot)
Theodore’s marriage is not to the love of his life because
he does not have Matilda, and only agrees to marry
Isabella because they can grieve together
Manfred is punished, divine justice
Manfred’s quest for sons has resulted in him losing his
castle, his princedom, and his children
Alfonso’s shade is at peace
Matilda haunts the marriage of Theodore and Isabella,
now there is a princess’ shade
The castle is in ruins
Theodore’s perpetual melancholy
Both Conrad’s and Matilda’s lives pay for Manfred’s sins
Hippolita goes to the convent
● There is the conflict between divine justice and an unhappy ending.
● The past keeps haunting the present: past evil deeds may have been buried but will not
stay buried. Previous generations haunt the present generation and even kill them.
Theme of substitution:
● Theodore replaces Manfred
● Matilda and Isabella are constantly confused for each other, and in the end Isabella
substitutes Matilda for Theodore’s wife
● Theodore and Isabella replaces Manfred and Hippolita: Isabella is related to Theodore to
the third or fourth degree and is previously engaged, just like Hippolita to Manfred. There
is a hint of menace as it looks like events are repeating itself again.
● Manfred and Frederic’s daughter/wife swap would have been another substitution
● Theodore is taking the place of Alfonzo as the rightful ruler: he started off as a boy
imprisoned in Alfonso’s helmet, but then gets his own suit of armour and looks more the
part
● Alfonso took a vow to not take a wife, which he breaks, and never recognizes his lawful
wife because he dies, so perhaps Theodore is not completely legitimate, like Manfred
● Manfred does not grieve for Conrad, his “darling”, whereas his reaction was completely
different with Matilda, who he does not particularly care for
● Manfred was under the madness of pursuing Isabella as his wife, which blinds him from
grieving for Conrad’s death, whereas this madness ends when he kills Matilda
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Document Summary
Theodore"s marriage is not to the love of his life because he does not have matilda, and only agrees to marry. Manfred is punished, divine justice manfred"s quest for sons has resulted in him losing his castle, his princedom, and his children. Matilda haunts the marriage of theodore and isabella, now there is a princess" shade. Both conrad"s and matilda"s lives pay for manfred"s sins. There is the conflict between divine justice and an unhappy ending. The past keeps haunting the present: past evil deeds may have been buried but will not stay buried. Previous generations haunt the present generation and even kill them. Matilda and isabella are constantly confused for each other, and in the end isabella substitutes matilda for theodore"s wife. Theodore and isabella replaces manfred and hippolita: isabella is related to theodore to the third or fourth degree and is previously engaged, just like hippolita to manfred.
