''Malatesta'' is a play by the French writer

Henry de Montherlant Henry Marie Joseph Frédéric Expedite Millon de Montherlant (; 20 April 1895 – 21 September 1972) was a French essayist, novelist, and dramatist. He was elected to the Académie française in 1960. Biography Born in Paris, a descendant of ...

, written in 1943–1944 and first published in 1946. It was first performed on stage in 1950.

Plot

Sigismondo Malatesta Sigismondo Malatesta (November 1498 – December 1553) was an Italian condottiero. Biography The son of Pandolfaccio Malatesta, Sigismondo strove for his whole life to reconquer the ancestral seat of the Malatesta seignory, Rimini, annexed by t ...

, the 15th-century ruler of

Rimini Rimini ( , ; or ; ) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. Sprawling along the Adriatic Sea, Rimini is situated at a strategically-important north-south passage along the coast at the southern tip of the Po Valley. It is ...

, is offered the cities

Spoleto Spoleto (, also , , ; ) is an ancient city in the Italian province of Perugia in east-central Umbria on a foothill of the Apennines. It is south of Trevi, north of Terni, southeast of Perugia; southeast of Florence; and north of Rome. H ...

and

Foligno Foligno (; Central Italian, Southern Umbrian: ''Fuligno'') is an ancient town of Italy in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, on the Topino river where it leaves the Apennine Mountains, Apennines and enters the wide plain of the Clit ...

if he gives up his own city to the troops of

Pope Paul II Pope Paul II (; ; 23 February 1417 – 26 July 1471), born Pietro Barbo, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 August 1464 to his death in 1471. When his maternal uncle became Pope Eugene IV, Barbo switched fr ...

. Malatesta is furious and goes to Rome to assassinate the Pope, but ends up accepting an honorary office in the Vatican. After falling ill, Malatesta is brought back to Rimini by his wife

Isotta Isotta may refer to: *the Italian form of the name Iseult *Isotta Nogarola (1418–1466), Italian writer and humanist *Isotta degli Atti (died 1474), an Italian regent *Isotta Brembati (died 1586), Italian poet and countess *Isotta Gervasi Isotta ...

. Back in his home he is poisoned by the learned Porcellio and dies.

Themes

The play portrays the vulnerability of a man who is at once unsuspecting and immoral. The sacrilegious and immoral hero ties in with

's typically preferred protagonist. He exemplifies what Montherlant called ''alternance'', which refers to the contrary aspects found within the same character: Malatesta is simultaneously able to kill casually and show tender human emotions, and simultaneously flirts with many women and is attached to his wife. The hero's demise ties in with

Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher. He began his career as a classical philology, classical philologist, turning to philosophy early in his academic career. In 1869, aged 24, Nietzsche bec ...

's writings about the superior man and his greater vulnerability when compared to the herd man, and the period setting correlates with Nietzsche's admiration for the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

period.

Production history

The play was first performed on 19 December 1950 at the

Théâtre Marigny The Théâtre Marigny () is a theatre in Paris, situated near the junction of the Champs-Élysées and the Avenue Marigny in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, 8th arrondissement. It was originally built to designs of the architect Charles Garnie ...

in Paris.

Jean-Louis Barrault Jean-Louis Bernard Barrault (; 8 September 1910 – 22 January 1994) was a French actor, director and mime artist who worked on both screen and stage. Biography Barrault was born in Le Vésinet in France in 1910. His father was 'a Burgundi ...

directed the production and starred in the title role. It was shown on BBC TV in December 1964 in the Wednesday Play series. https://www.memorabletv.com/tv/the-wednesday-play-malatesta-bbc-drama-patrick-wymark/

References

Citations

Sources

* * * {{Refend 1946 plays Plays by Henry de Montherlant Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta Pope Paul II Plays set in the 15th century Plays set in Italy