Reading Five Italian Renaissance Comedies: The Mandragora | Alexandria
Read Five Italian Renaissance Comedies: The Mandragora by Niccolo Machiavelli. Subverting expectations, Machiavelli's comedy reveals that laughter can be deadlier than force - using wit to expose how desire and deception drive human nature more than reason or virtue. Through clever plots and bawdy humor, he shows that true power lies in understanding folly, not just force.