This paper aims at a bringing to light the shift of meaning ingrained in the Lady of Camelias by the Italian stage interpretation of the Dumas fils’ play. Eleonora Duse’s ‘minimization’ of the social aspects of the drama ushered in a new understanding of the main character Marguerite, who became the victim of a hypocritical and false set of moral values. Verdi’s opera contributed also to this melodramatic turn, that came to its culmination with Lella Costa’s play La Traviata. The reasons of the heart, staged for the first time in 2002. In this interpretation, that combines theatre staging with video and opera singing, Marguerite still represents the courtesans, but not to blame or admonish them: to praise their humanity.
Verna, M., « De la vierge imbécile à l’intelligence du cœur. La Dame aux Camélias en Italie », in Grazia Dolores Folliero-Metz, M. T. G. &. C. O. M., Interazioni letterarie e artistiche tra Italia e Francia. Interactions littéraires et artistiques entre l’Italie et la France, Literarische und künstlische Interaktionen zwiaschen Italien und Frankreichi, Peter Lang Editore, Berlin, Bruxelles, Chennai, Lausanne, New York, Oxford 2026 <<MITTELALTER UND RENAISSANCE IN DER ROMANIA>>, 17: 131-145. 10.3726/b22543 [https://hdl.handle.net/10807/334684]
« De la vierge imbécile à l’intelligence du cœur. La Dame aux Camélias en Italie »
Verna, Marisa
Primo
Writing – Original Draft Preparation
2026
Abstract
This paper aims at a bringing to light the shift of meaning ingrained in the Lady of Camelias by the Italian stage interpretation of the Dumas fils’ play. Eleonora Duse’s ‘minimization’ of the social aspects of the drama ushered in a new understanding of the main character Marguerite, who became the victim of a hypocritical and false set of moral values. Verdi’s opera contributed also to this melodramatic turn, that came to its culmination with Lella Costa’s play La Traviata. The reasons of the heart, staged for the first time in 2002. In this interpretation, that combines theatre staging with video and opera singing, Marguerite still represents the courtesans, but not to blame or admonish them: to praise their humanity.
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