Canto XXXII

Canto XXXII, almost entirely occupied by Bradamante, consists of a first part dating back to 1516 (and partly already modified in 1521) and a second half entirely added in 1532: this is the first part of the so-called second giunta, the one relating to the Rocca di Tristano. The essay analyzes the differences between the form of 1532 and that of the corresponding canto XXX (1516 and 1521); and insists on the elegiac function that Bradamante takes on in the earliest section of the canto, highlighting various topoi Ariosto picks up from Latin poetry and the Boccaccio elegiac production (Filostrato and Fiammetta), in order to represent the amorous folly of the warrior, blinded by jealousy for Marfisa. The giunta, on the other hand, is interpreted as an attempt to vary the elegiac representation of Bradamante, giving space to the lazy heroism of the women. Despite being immersed in his gloomy thoughts, Bradamante, in fact, avoids a grave danger that looms over the court of Carlo (the shield and the challenge that Ullania brings from Iceland); and reintroduces courtesy in a space marked by rudeness and jealousy, namely the fortress of Tristan, where the law of Clodione, as expression of masculine jealousy, dominates.