Ambiguity in Reason in Orlando Furioso
Ariosto addresses an underlying battle between reason and lust in Orlando Furioso, similar to the clash between duty and desires in Vergil’s Aeneid, yet opposite in interpretation. Vergil presents the message that duty overpowers desires, while Ariosto shows the opposite effect when he equates reason, rules, and authority with duty, and love, passion, and lust with desire. The "mettlesome charger" represents Lust that will not stop fighting to obtain its goals and cannot be gently coerced from its direction. Reason rarely overcomes Lust after it is set into action; once it is "tasted" it cannot be forgotten. Bradamant is torn between lust and reason when she must choose between her desires for Ruggiero and her filial duties. Aymon and Beatrice represent authority, thus set the tone for reason; but Rinaldo, Bradamant, and Ruggiero challenge their supremacy. Ariosto ultimately questions the validity of authoritative reason since Bradamant must thwart filial duty and pursue her own passions to fulfill her destiny.
When Rinaldo promises Bradamant’s hand to Ruggiero in marriage, controversy surfaces. Rinaldo feels indebted to Ruggiero for his great deeds, which include saving the lives of Richardet, Maugis, and Vivian. Rinaldo has only good intentions in mind when he takes a stand, and "[he] truly [believes] that Aymon [will] be pleased to contract such a kinship." (44.11) However, his prediction proves false; Aymon angrily receives the news. Not only does he have plans of his own for Bradamant’s future, he is enraged that Rinaldo "[dares] to marry off his daughter without consulting him" (44.36). Aymon prefers to give Bradamant’s hand to Constantine’s son Leo because he has the grea...
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...duty expressed through Merlin’s prophecy. Following the reason of authority, this goal would never have been met, however, relying on the reason of the heart, it is. Ariosto suggests that rules are refined rather than broken when they are not followed, because the authority, which sets them into play, can be less valid than the passions driving the "counter" action.
The student may wish to begin the paper with the quote below:
"A mettlesome charger will often suffer himself to be reined in from a gallop however gentle the hand on the rein. Seldom however, will the bridle of Reason check rabid Lust once it scents its quarry. It is like a bear: there is no distracting him from the honey once he has sniffed at it or tasted a drop left in the jar." (Canto 11.1)
Works Cited
Ariosto. Orlando Furioso. Trans. Waldman. New York: Oxford University Press, 1983
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