“Il poter dir”: Sincerity, Truth, and Faithfulness in Orlando furioso 37

Abstract

LUDOVICO ARIOSTO ’S ORLANDO FURIOSO was and still is one of the most celebrated works of sixteenth-century Italian culture, largely due to its capacity to combine fantastic adventures with poignant reflections on central issues of its time. With its clever mix of lovestruck paladins, brave women warriors, and magical elements, the poem—which appeared in three editions in 1516, 1521, and 1532, and quickly becamewhat inmodern termswould be dubbed a blockbuster—voices some of the most pressing concerns of contemporary society. The Orlando furioso is also one of the most studied works of the Italian Renaissance, and canto 37 in particular has received significant scholarly attention in recent years. A tale about misogyny, it is one of four episodes Ariosto added to the third edition of his poem. Most of the attention to this canto has been motivated by the