Instytut Badań Literackich Polskiej Akademii Nauk

(Between tradition and novelty. The role of female characters in the epic poem La Gerusalemme liberata (Jerusalem Delivered) by Torquato Tasso)

Year of publication: 2014
Page range: 14 (35-48)
Keywords: old Polish epic, Torquato Tasso, Piotr Kochanowski, Gofred abo Jeruzalem wyzwolona (Jerusalem Delivered), image of women
Author: Kamila Buszka (The University of Silesia)

Abstract

The article’s aim is to present the main female characters of the epic poem La Gerusalemme liberata (Jerusalem Delivered) by Torquato Tasso (translation by Piotr Kochanowski), i.e. the witch Armida, the warrior-maiden Clorinda and the princess Erminia. Their behaviour is based on the symbolic, historical and social contexts. The article tries to answer the question concerning the functions women had in Tasso’s poem. The author created female characters in such a way that they became the leading participants of the events and had much more prominent roles to play than expected from women in this kindle of poems. The decisions taken by the heroines influence the course of events.


Article file >> pdf