The Evolution of Il Cavaliere perseguitato: Literary Interdependence in Bandello, Lope de Vega and the Commedia dell'arte

The role of the Spanish comedia as mediatrix between the Italian novella and the commedia dell'arte has barely attracted scholarly interest. Yet the number of Italian novelle which found their way into the comedies of Lope de Vega and his followers and the subsequent absorption of the Spanish intrigues into the repertory of the comici (one hundred scenari in addition to forty-one full-length translations by actors and actresses of that medium) speak to a literary give-and-take of significant proportions, one which merits closer scrutiny. This essay examines the complexities of this symbiotic relationship with specific attention to 1) Bandello's tragic narrative and the theatrical elements therein, 2) Lope's dramatization of the novella and his recourse to commedia dell'arte techniques for its elaboration, and 3) the derivative scenario's unique theatrical focus.