Machiavelli Reading Journal Entry

How is the Context set in Belfagor; are there the standard European “three context elements” present in the story following the initial setting? If so, what are they?

Belfagor is set in Florentine history, with a holy man who believes that the misery of men is caused by their wives. It is also set up within Hell, where the judges of Hell along with Pluto are the ones left with the task of discovering the truth or falsity behind this belief. Belfagor, the archdevil, is sent into the world to recover the truth. I believe the three context elements are present in the story following the setting. It seems that they are the three daughters that Belfagor (Roderigo) possesses and that Gianmatteo comes to exorcise. The first is the daughter of Ambruogio Amidei, the second is the daughter of King Charles, and the third is the daughter of King Louis VII. These three context elements are what drive the story and its characters forward.

Which sentence begins the Turning Point in the story?

I believe the turning point of the story begins with, “Roderigo, on the other hand, seeing no way out of his dilemma, and knowing that his infernal powers were limited by his agreement, decided to flee at all costs; one morning he escaped on horseback through the Gate of Prato, which was near where he lived” (424). This is the point at which Roderigo becomes truly vulnerable, setting up the context in which he must ask Gianmatteo for help.

What are the Actions of the main character (I’m not looking for every detail here, but the general core Actions which move the story forward)?

The general actions of Roderigo are 1) being sent into the world by Pluto, the king of the underworld, to find out the truth about the pains of marriage; 2) marrying Onesta and falling madly in love with her; 3) going bankrupt as a result of spending all his money on Onesta’s needs; 3) fleeing Florence; 4) asking Gianmatteo to protect him and promising to make him rich in return by possessing women and having Gianmatteo exorcise him; 5) possessing three separate women and only promising to be exorcised from the first two; 6) refusing to be exorcised by Gianmatteo from the daughter of King Louis VII, as he wishes to show that he can give and take away as he pleases; 7) fleeing from the celebration that Gianmatteo organized because of the mention that the noise and processions were his wife coming to reclaim him.

Is there a Moral and if so where does it fall in the story and is it explicit?

I think the moral of the story is that the pious, wise, and humble peasant man will always persevere against the over-indulgent “archdevil” or heathen. This moral falls at the end of the story and it is the most explicit in the last paragraph, as it states, “Thus, Belfagor, on his return to Hell, testified the evils that a wife brought into a household. And Gianmatteo, who knew more about such things than the devil, returned home a happy man” (429).

What is the Reversal in the story? Is there more than one; if so, what are others?

There are three reversals in the story. The first is when Belfagor becomes vulnerable as a result of his bankruptcy and flees Florence. The second is when Belfagor refuses to be exorcised from the daughter of King Louis VII, knowing that Gianmatteo will be hanged if he does not cure her. The third and final reversal is when Gianmatteo figures out the way to win against Belfagor, by having the king arrange this procession that will cause Belfagor to flee. Here, Gianmatteo forces Belfagor to flee by mentioning his wife, the character who also caused the first reversal in the fable.

What is the Resolution?

The resolution is that Belfagor returns to Hell to testify about the evils of marriage and Gianmatteo returns home a happy man.

What did you like most about Machiavelli’s piece?

My favorite part of the story was the dialogue, mainly between Belfagor and Gianmatteo. I liked the way Machiavelli used dialogue to develop the plot and to tell us more about the characters and their relationship.