Romeo and Juliet sources: Masuccio Salernitano
I’ve been rereading Masuccio Salernitano’s version of the Romeo and Juliet story. Here are some things which differ from Shakespeare’s play and which I found interesting:
Mariotto, a handsome youth from Siena, falls in love with Giannozza. He woos her and eventually she returns his feelings.
After a while, she proposes to him. They secretly get married with the help of an Augustinian friar.
They enjoy their marriage until Mariotto has a quarrel with an honorable citizen, whom he kills.
Mariotto hides himself. The authorities, unable to find him, condemn him to perpetual exile and proclaim him a rebel.
He flees to Alexandria, where he lives with his uncle Ser Nicolo Mignanelli, a well-known merchant.
Mariotto entreats his brother to keep him informed of Giannozza’s well-being. The lovers continually send letters to each other.
Giannozza is pressured into marrying one of her father’s suitors.
She quickly comes up with the idea of faking her death. She persuades the friar, who at first was reluctant to the plan. He agrees to prepare the potion.
She sends a message to Mariotto explaining her new circumstances. The messenger is captured by a bunch of corsairs and is subsequently murdered.
When her father finds her dead body, he summons various physicians, hoping that they can bring her back to life. They watch her body for a whole day, but no signs of life are present.
She is buried the next day. In the middle of the night, the friar takes her away from the tomb and hides her in his room.
Heartbroken, Giannozza’s father dies soon after her funeral.
Giannozza disguises herself as a monk and travels to Alexandria on her own. However, the ship faces some adversities and her arrival is delayed for some months.
Mariotto weeps constantly, given that he hasn’t received any letter from Giannozza for a long time.
Mariotto’s brother informs him of Giannozza’s death. In spite of his uncle’s attempt to console him, he is determined to go back to Siena and die by her side.
Disguised as a pilgrim, he returns to his native land. As he tries to open Giannozza’s supposed tomb, he is spotted by a sacristan in the middle of the night.
Believing him a thief, he warns the other friars. The young lover is quickly recognized.
He is taken to the palace of the mayor. Even though his unfortunate love story moves everyone to tears, the law demands that he be beheaded.
In the meantime, Giannozza arrives at the house of Mariotto’s uncle in Alexandria. Filled with grief, Ser Nicolo reveals that his nephew, wrongly believing her to be dead, returned to Siena to die by her side.
After considering their situation, both decide to go back to Siena and look for him.
Dressed as a man again, she finds that Mariotto was beheaded three days ago.
Distressed, she decides to hide in a nunnery for good. However, she soon passes away, grieving over her lover’s death.
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