Chapter 4
Chapter Summary
Father Cristoforo leaves the monastery of Pescarenico to head to Lucia’s cottage. He admires the beauty of the Adda and the mountains behind Lecco. Father Cristoforo notices the beggars around him, who give grateful bows and respectful looks. He is saddened by the sight of a frail girl searching for food for herself and her cow.
A friar of the Capuchin order, Father Cristoforo is approaching his late fifties. He has a circlet of hair around his scalp in the Capuchin manner (a hair style of humility), a long white beard, and sunken eyes, which sometimes blaze with fire. Father Cristoforo was baptized Lodovico and born to a rich merchant, who found himself very comfortable at the end of his life.
While passing a shop, he recalls his past life as a merchant and feels ashamed of the wasted time. He remembers how his father was teased at a dinner and continued this torment until he passed away, leaving his riches to his son. Lodovico grew up with a proper education and acquired the habits of a nobleman. He had difficulty conversing with the leading men of the city. He resented their snubbing, and decided to take the side of the weak and oppressed.
A friar of the Capuchin order, Father Cristoforo is approaching his late fifties. He has a circlet of hair around his scalp in the Capuchin manner (a hair style of humility), a long white beard, and sunken eyes, which sometimes blaze with fire. Father Cristoforo was baptized Lodovico and born to a rich merchant, who found himself very comfortable at the end of his life.
While passing a shop, he recalls his past life as a merchant and feels ashamed of the wasted time. He remembers how his father was teased at a dinner and continued this torment until he passed away, leaving his riches to his son. Lodovico grew up with a proper education and acquired the habits of a nobleman. He had difficulty conversing with the leading men of the city. He resented their snubbing, and decided to take the side of the weak and oppressed.
When Lodovico awakes in the Capuchin church, a friar tells him that Cristoforo’s dying words were to ask for forgiveness and to tell Lodovico that he had forgiven him. Lodovico decides to become a monk and the Capuchins agree. The hosts agree to do so because to expel Lodovico and discredit the monastery would be a violation of rights. The family of the dead nobleman resolved upon revenge on Lodovico. The Father Superior visits the family to ease their hatred for Lodovico. The family asks that Lodovico leave the town and the Father Superior agrees, thus clearing the dispute of honor.
Brother Cristoforo arrives at the home and a crowd of witnesses is present. He approaches the brother of the deceased nobleman and kneels at his feet. He begs for forgiveness and the man is shaken by his words. He forgives Brother Cristoforo and the crowd cries in agreement. Brother Cristoforo asks for a loaf of bread as a token of forgiveness and then leaves the home. As he leaves, the crowd commends him for his meekness.
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One day, Lodovico is walking with two bravoes and his steward, Cristoforo, who had known Lodovico since he was born. They approach an arrogant nobleman with 4 bravoes and custom says that Lodovico has the right of way since the wall was to his right. The nobleman refuses to step aside since he is of more righteous birth. Lodovico and the nobleman throw themselved at each other and the two sides begin a vicious fight. In an attempt to save his master, Cristoforo throws himself at the nobleman and is killed; at the same time Lodovico kills the nobleman. When the fight ends, the bravoes scurry off. The crowd tells Lodovico to take refuge at a nearby Capuchin church. They drop him off with the friars and say he is a decent man who acted in self-defense.
Lodovico begins his life of expiation and service. He adopts the name Brother Cristoforo as a reminder of his sin. Father Superior informs Brother Cristoforo that he will be leaving the next day and Cristoforo asks if he can visit the family of the nobleman to make amends. Father Superior asks the family and they agree to a meeting the next day.
Father Cristoforo keeps the loaf of bread as a perpetual reminder. During the rest of his monastic life, he preached and tended to the dying. However, he also devoted himself to composing quarrels and protecting the oppressed due to old habit. As he is thinking about the troublesome situation involving Lucia, he finds himself at the foot of the door of Lucia’s cottage and is greeted by the women.
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*summary taken from the Bruce Penman translation of I promessi sposi
Translation Comparison
This histogram depicts the differences between the frequency of the most common words in Chapter 4 of I promessi sposi in English and Italian. I would like to point out that the English translation used for this comparison is NOT the Bruce Penman (Penguin Classics) translation that our class read during this project, but the Project Gutenberg translation. The first thing that I noticed was that the frequency of Lodovico and Cristoforo had a difference of 6 between the English and Italian. The Italian uses the name much more frequently, which parallels Manzoni's writing style. He is typically wordy and goes into great detail. I decided to investigate the uses of Lodovico and Cristoforo to see if it was a coincidence or the name was excluded on purpose in 6 instances. While analyzing the original Italian text and the Project Gutenberg translation, I noticed that the translation not only excluded uses of the names, but also added uses of Lodovico and Cristoforo, which did not exist in the original text. In order to demonstrate this exclusion, I decided to dissect a section of Chapter 4. Also, I compared the original Italian text and Project Gutenberg translation to the Penman translation. For the comparison, I used A.nnotate, an online document annotation tool.
As you can see, the Project Gutenberg translation greatly differs from the original Italian text and the Penman translation. I was most surprised that the Penman translation of the same sections contained 216 words, and the original Italian text contained 161 words. Penman decided to use 55 additional words in order to describe the same scene. Is this a difference in language structure? Or is this a sign of Penman's writing style? I think it is a bit of both. The English language requires the use of more words because unlike Italian, it does not have as many contractions. Manzoni's writing style has many run-on sentences by using excessive clauses and phrases. Penman does not copy this style and decides to separate the clauses into separate sentences, following a more traditional grammatical style. This difference in translation changes the meaning of the text. Manzoni's style creates a certain tone for the reader. The choppy writing style speeds up the pace of the text, and creates a tone of haste. The reader can sense the rushed nature of Lodovico's decision to become a friar. By manipulating the writing style, Manzoni can speed up or slow down and build tension or create serenity. When Penman changes the writing style, the tone slows down and the reader does not get a sense of urgency.
Word Cloud: Cristoforo vs. Lodovico
For the word cloud of Chapter 4 in I promessi sposi by Alessandro Manzoni, I decided to compare the descriptions and dialogue of Cristoforo versus those of Lodovico. Chapter 4 introduces Cristoforo to the reader and offers insight into his character. Even though Cristoforo and Lodovico are the same person, each character represents a different point in his life. Lodovico was a respectable nobleman who found himself caught at the scene of a bloody brawl over a fight for honor. He found refuge in a nearby Capuchin church and henceforth was known as Cristoforo. He repented for his sins, asked for forgiveness from the family of the man he murdered, and from this time forth devoted his life to God.
To create the word cloud, I selected the passages with descriptions about either Cristoforo or Lodovico and the dialogue of the characters and divided them into two separate sections. I entered the passages separately into Voyant in order to generate a word list. Next, I eliminated the Italian stop words and copy and pasted the list into Excel. Then I proceeded to scan the list to combine different variants of adjectives and nouns into one common root. I also combined all conjugated forms of verbs into the infinitive. After eliminating any pronouns or prepositions from the list, I deleted any word that only appeared once in the text. Finally, I plugged the two word lists into Tagxedo to generate the word cloud.
Last, I used Speaking Image to create an interactive version of the word clouds. I provided images of the two characters and added quotes to help the viewer differentiate between Cristoforo and Lodovico. As evident in the word clouds, the words that are most common of Cristoforo (potere, fra, padre, umiliazione, ecc.) describe his devotion to the service of the people and God. The words associated with Lodovico (fare, figlio, vivere, uccidere, ecc.) describe his lifestyle of taking action.
To create the word cloud, I selected the passages with descriptions about either Cristoforo or Lodovico and the dialogue of the characters and divided them into two separate sections. I entered the passages separately into Voyant in order to generate a word list. Next, I eliminated the Italian stop words and copy and pasted the list into Excel. Then I proceeded to scan the list to combine different variants of adjectives and nouns into one common root. I also combined all conjugated forms of verbs into the infinitive. After eliminating any pronouns or prepositions from the list, I deleted any word that only appeared once in the text. Finally, I plugged the two word lists into Tagxedo to generate the word cloud.
Last, I used Speaking Image to create an interactive version of the word clouds. I provided images of the two characters and added quotes to help the viewer differentiate between Cristoforo and Lodovico. As evident in the word clouds, the words that are most common of Cristoforo (potere, fra, padre, umiliazione, ecc.) describe his devotion to the service of the people and God. The words associated with Lodovico (fare, figlio, vivere, uccidere, ecc.) describe his lifestyle of taking action.
Connections within Chapter 4
At the beginning of Chapter 4 when Father Cristoforo's past is explained to the reader, his behavior as the young Lodovico is parallel with his behavior in present time. The novel says: "[Lodovico] felt a spontaneous and genuine horror of bullying and foul play - all the more when he saw the priveldged position of those who indulged more constantly in things... he eagerly took the side of the weak and oppressed, and prided himself on putting a spoke in a bully's wheel here, interfering in a dispute there, inviting a quarrel on another occasion; so that he gradually began to set himself up as a protector of the down-trodden and a righter of wrong" (79). This devotion to helping the oppressed and standing up against the oppressors, causes Lodovico to stand up to the nobleman, "an arrogant man and a professional bully" (80).
Towards the end up Chapter 4, the narrator explains that Father Cristoforo had two official duties of "preaching and of tending the dying, which he carried out willingly and conscientiously, but that he never missed a chance of performing two other duties, which he had set himself - the composing of quarrels and the protection of the oppressed. Unknown to Father Cristoforo an old habit had, to some extent, found its way back into his heart, together with a small remnant of his old combative spirit, which neither humiliation nor fasting had wholly been able to extinguish" (90). The combative spirit in which the narrator reference refers to Father Cristoforo's physical description at the beginning of the chapter. The narrator says his eyes sometimes "blazed with a sudden flame." He was like "high-spirited horses in the hands of a driver whose control they know very well they cannot break; but they still allow themselves an occasional buck, which they pay for at once with a good jab on the bit" (70).
*quotes taken from the Bruce Penman translation
Towards the end up Chapter 4, the narrator explains that Father Cristoforo had two official duties of "preaching and of tending the dying, which he carried out willingly and conscientiously, but that he never missed a chance of performing two other duties, which he had set himself - the composing of quarrels and the protection of the oppressed. Unknown to Father Cristoforo an old habit had, to some extent, found its way back into his heart, together with a small remnant of his old combative spirit, which neither humiliation nor fasting had wholly been able to extinguish" (90). The combative spirit in which the narrator reference refers to Father Cristoforo's physical description at the beginning of the chapter. The narrator says his eyes sometimes "blazed with a sudden flame." He was like "high-spirited horses in the hands of a driver whose control they know very well they cannot break; but they still allow themselves an occasional buck, which they pay for at once with a good jab on the bit" (70).
*quotes taken from the Bruce Penman translation
Connections to the rest of I promessi sposi
In Chapter 4, the confrontation between Lodovico and the arrogant nobleman presents the reoccurring theme of vendetta. When describing the feud, the narrator says, "For one of the privileges this world offers us is the right to hate and be hated by those whom we have never met" (80). This quote reminds me of the hate that Renzo feels towards Don Rodrigo. In Chapter 35, while Renzo talks to Father Cristoforo at the lazaretto, he says, "And if I find [Don Rodrigo], if the plague hasn't already done justice on him... why, the time's past when a cowardly blackguard with a train of bravoes at his back could reduce people to desperation and laugh at the consequences. It's a time now for men to meet each other face to face... and then justice'll be done - by me!" (660) Although Renzo has never met Don Rodrigo, he feels nothing but hate for him and wishes to kill him for the injustice he has done towards him and Lucia.
When Lodovico seeks refuge in the Capuchin church, he is reflecting and "the idea of becoming a monk, which had passed through his mind several times perviously, sprang up again, much more urgent and serious than ever before. It struck him that God himself had pointed the way, and given him a sign of his will, by granting him refuge in a monastery at that particular time; and in a moment his mind was made up" (84). This hasty resolution is similar to the vow that Lucia makes in Chapter 21 to the Madonna after being kidnapped by the Innominato, under Don Rodrigo's request. Lucia believes that "her prayers would be more likely to find acceptance and be answered if, at that desperate time, they were accompanied by a sacrifice of some kind" (390). With no other choice and desperate for salvation, she makes a vow of chastity that has serious repercussions in the future.
At the end of Chapter 4, Father Cristoforo asks the brother of the nobleman he killed for a loaf of bread. He eats some of the bread, and then "set a piece of it aside, and put it back in his scrip, to keep as a perpetual reminder" (90). The bread represents charity and forgiveness, and Father Cristoforo cherishes the small loaf as he does the mercy that the family of the nobleman showed him. In Chapter 36, the small loaf of bread reappears. Father Cristoforo gives the bread to Renzo and says, "I leave it to you. Keep it carefully and show it to your children. They will be born into sad times, in a sad world, among proud and overbearing men. Tell them they must forgive... always forgive, no matter what it may be... and tell them too to pray for the poor old friar!" (683) When Father Cristoforo passes the bread to Renzo and Lucia, it serves as a reminder to Renzo to forgive others and to Lucia to forgive herself.
*quotes taken from the Bruce Penman translation
When Lodovico seeks refuge in the Capuchin church, he is reflecting and "the idea of becoming a monk, which had passed through his mind several times perviously, sprang up again, much more urgent and serious than ever before. It struck him that God himself had pointed the way, and given him a sign of his will, by granting him refuge in a monastery at that particular time; and in a moment his mind was made up" (84). This hasty resolution is similar to the vow that Lucia makes in Chapter 21 to the Madonna after being kidnapped by the Innominato, under Don Rodrigo's request. Lucia believes that "her prayers would be more likely to find acceptance and be answered if, at that desperate time, they were accompanied by a sacrifice of some kind" (390). With no other choice and desperate for salvation, she makes a vow of chastity that has serious repercussions in the future.
At the end of Chapter 4, Father Cristoforo asks the brother of the nobleman he killed for a loaf of bread. He eats some of the bread, and then "set a piece of it aside, and put it back in his scrip, to keep as a perpetual reminder" (90). The bread represents charity and forgiveness, and Father Cristoforo cherishes the small loaf as he does the mercy that the family of the nobleman showed him. In Chapter 36, the small loaf of bread reappears. Father Cristoforo gives the bread to Renzo and says, "I leave it to you. Keep it carefully and show it to your children. They will be born into sad times, in a sad world, among proud and overbearing men. Tell them they must forgive... always forgive, no matter what it may be... and tell them too to pray for the poor old friar!" (683) When Father Cristoforo passes the bread to Renzo and Lucia, it serves as a reminder to Renzo to forgive others and to Lucia to forgive herself.
*quotes taken from the Bruce Penman translation
Connections to the time of Manzoni
At the beginning of Chapter 4 when Father Cristoforo is walking to Lucia's cottage, he tries to keep the images of his past out of his head, "but the shop, with its bales, its account books, and its yard measure, forced its way into his memories like the ghost of Banquo appearing to Macbeth, even at the most splendid dinners, even among the applause of parasites" (78). Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare in 1606. As a poet and novelist, Manzoni would have been very familiar with the work of Shakespeare. Although the play was written before the time period of I promessi sposi, it is doubtful the main characters would have been familiar with the play. When the novel was published in the mid-19th century, Manzoni would have expected his readers to be very familiar with the plays of Shakespeare. Manzoni himself studied the works of Shakespeare, and this influenced his style of pursuing truth in his work. Manzoni sought plots with real tragedies and protagonists with real sufferings, which would cause the reader to reflect upon the nature of life. Realism highlighted reality instead of history. Instead of farfetched plots like Ariosto, Manzoni created historical fiction which described the moral truths of history.
*quotes taken from the Bruce Penman translation
*quotes taken from the Bruce Penman translation
Connections to the Spencer Research Library
When Lodovico and the nobleman walks towards each other on the street, the issue of law, morals, and right or wrong comes into play. The novel says: "They were both walking within arm's length of the wall. But Lodovico (and this is the important point) had it on his right hand; and this, according to a custom of the time, meant that he did not have to leave the shelter of the wall and give way to any man in the world. This was a right - to misuse an ill-treated word - to which great importance was attached in those days" (80). This debate of conduct reminds me of the law book we examined at the Spencer Research Library. The 16th century law book, printed in Paris in 1587, is titled, "Corpus iuris canonici emendatum et notis illustratum: Gregorii XIII Pont. Max. iussu editum." The book contains laws about land ownership, marriage, inheritance, etc. In I promessi sposi, Renzo struggles with interpreting the difference between written law and verbal law. He is lost in history and unable to accept his role in society, causing him to be bitter towards those with power. In the end, Renzo realizes that the law does not define him and he begins to live his life as he sees fit. In comparison to this scene from Chapter 4, the law is not so much in play, as is the customs or societal conventions. Lodovico and the nobleman dispute over who has the right of passage on the street, and due to their differing interpretations of the customs, they both believe they have the privilege. In customs, there may be room for interpretation, but in law there is no room for slant; it is concrete.
*quotes taken from the Bruce Penman translation
*quotes taken from the Bruce Penman translation
Connections to the Spencer Museum of Art
Our class visited the Spencer Museum of Art on the University of Kansas campus to view artwork that would help the class visualize the characters and setting of I promessi sposi. Although Manzoni describes each character's dress and appearance in depth and guides the reader to envision the abhorrence of the famine and plague of Milan, it is useful to examine artwork from the time period in which Manzoni was writing and the time period in which I promessi sposi takes place in order to see another artist's point of view.
The piece of art titled head of a monk is a chalk sketch done by an unknown artist from a Roman school. The sketch was done during the time period in which I promessi sposi takes place. This work is an excellent visualization of the character Father Cristoforo. In I promessi sposi, Father Cristoforo is friar of the Capuchin Order, and this sketch helps the reader to vision the hairstyle and beard of a friar. Friars practiced tonsure, the removal of their hair, to show that they were slaves to God. In Chapter 4, Father Cristoforo's appearance is described:
"...a man in his late fifties... shaven head - bare except for a circlet of hair round the scalp in the Capuchin manner - raised itself from time to time with a movement which betrayed a restless pride, but sank again at once into its habitual position of humility. The long white beard which covered his cheeks and his chin gave additional relief to the striking contours of the upper part of his face, marked by an abstinence, habitual for many years, which had added gravity to his features without making them less expressive..." (77)
In this sketch, the monk is deep in thought, shying away from the viewer. This piece of art helps the reader to imagine the stress Father Cristoforo's face when he is trying to decide how to help Lucia and Renzo, or perhaps how to confront Don Rodrigo.
The piece of art titled head of a monk is a chalk sketch done by an unknown artist from a Roman school. The sketch was done during the time period in which I promessi sposi takes place. This work is an excellent visualization of the character Father Cristoforo. In I promessi sposi, Father Cristoforo is friar of the Capuchin Order, and this sketch helps the reader to vision the hairstyle and beard of a friar. Friars practiced tonsure, the removal of their hair, to show that they were slaves to God. In Chapter 4, Father Cristoforo's appearance is described:
"...a man in his late fifties... shaven head - bare except for a circlet of hair round the scalp in the Capuchin manner - raised itself from time to time with a movement which betrayed a restless pride, but sank again at once into its habitual position of humility. The long white beard which covered his cheeks and his chin gave additional relief to the striking contours of the upper part of his face, marked by an abstinence, habitual for many years, which had added gravity to his features without making them less expressive..." (77)
In this sketch, the monk is deep in thought, shying away from the viewer. This piece of art helps the reader to imagine the stress Father Cristoforo's face when he is trying to decide how to help Lucia and Renzo, or perhaps how to confront Don Rodrigo.
*quotes taken from the Bruce Penman translation
Conclusion
Chapter 4 of I promessi sposi serves to demonstrate of the power of compassion. Throughout the novel, Renzo struggles to forgive Don Rodrigo and is consumed with hate. Father Cristoforo's previous life as a merchant demonstrates his understanding of sin and exoneration. Although his intentions were admirable, the young Cristoforo devoted his life to defeating those who oppressed others, and because of his pride he committed the ultimate sin, murder. His knowledge of forgiveness helps Renzo with his own conflict. Father Cristoforo is a father figure to Renzo and Lucia and helps guide them during their disastrous engagement.
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