Luoghi
What is the name of the lake mentioned in the beginning of the novel?
Il lago di Como
How is the first character introduced in the beginning of the novel??
Don Abbondio
What do the opening lines of the novel describe?
Lago di Como.
Where was Alessandro Manzoni born?
Milano
Explain the title" "The Betrothed"
The person to whom one is engaged to be be married to.
Where was Don Abbondio walking on when he encountered "I bravi"?
He was on the road that led to his church.
Who were "I bravi"??
Two men, soldiers (thugs) of Don Rodriogo.
What kind of novel is IPS?
Historical fiction.
Who was Manzoni's grandfather?
His name and what was he known for?
Cesare Beccaria.
He was a lawyer and judge, he stood against torture and capital punishment, he wrote a famous book that influenced the US Constitution.
How does Manzoni get people interested in reading his novel?
He pretends to have found an anonymous book in a library about a love story and thinks that Italy needs to know this story so he takes it upon himself to re-write it in the Florentine dialect.
Where does Don Abbondio hide after his meeting with "I bravi"?
He hides in his home.
Who is Perpetua and what role does she play in chapter 1?
Perpetua is the servant of Don Abbondio, she shields him from people he doesn't want to talk to.
In what century was the novel written?
In what century does the novel take place?
1800's
1600's
Why does Manzoni decide to write his novel in the Florentine dialect and what does it do for the Italian language?
The Florentine dialect was spoken by the cultured, educated people of Firenze. Manzoni felt that they were very "open-minded" people.
Because the novel became so famous it helped to establish and formalize the modern Italian language.
What are three real historical events that are included in the novel?
The Spanish control of Italy
The plague of the 1600's
The famine of Milano
How is the road that led to Don Abbondio's home described ?
A) come un sentiero popolare e fangoso (muddy)
B) come un sentiero solitario e tranquillo
C) come un sentiero ripido e faticoso (rocky & hard to walk on)
Come un sentiero solitario e tranquilla.
Describe Renzo's personality in three adjectives:
Impulsive
Curious
Honest
Poor
Determined
Which cultural time period focused on "The language of the common man"?
Illuminismo or Romanticismo
Romanticismo
What were the three main themes of the novel??
Love, Morality & the Human Spirit.
Name two characters in the novel that are Fiction and two characters that are non-fiction:
Fiction: Renzo, Lucia, Don Abbondio, Don Rodrigo
Non-fiction: Fra Cristoforo, La Monaca di Monza, Cardinal Borromeo
How is the neighborhood around Don Abbondio's home described ?
Like a typical neighborhood in the countryside of Milano.
Who was Fra Cristoforo? describe his life in one sentence.
Who introduces him in the story?
What mission is he sent on??
A wealthy young man who gets into a battle with a nobleman, his servant is killed and because of his guilt, he dedicates his life to the church.
Lucia
He is sent to speak to Don Rodrigo about leaving Renzo & Lucia alone.
Describe Divine Providence:
God's intervention in the universe. Everything happens for a reason. God is working out all things according to his good will.
Manzoni felt that violence in society can only be resolved how?
Through Faith in God.
Who is the narrarater of the novel and what is he considered?
The voice of God; he is omniscient, he knows everything, a special power that only God has.