The Italian romance epic of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, with
its multitude of characters, complex plots, and roots in medieval
Carolingian epic and Arthurian chivalric romance, was a form popular
with courtly and urban audiences. In the hands of writers such as
Boiardo, Ariosto, and Tasso, works of remarkable sophistication that
combined high seriousness and low comedy were created. Their works went
on to influence Cervantes, Milton, Ronsard, Shakespeare, and Spenser.In
this volume instructors will find ideas for teaching the Italian
Renaissance romance epic along with its adaptations in film, theater,
visual art, and music. An extensive resources section locates primary
texts online and lists critical studies, anthologies, and reference
works.