Con occhi britannici. Mary Shelley, Felicia Hemans e i moti rivoluzionari italiani del 1820-21

Abstract

Mary Shelley and Felicia Hemans are two basically contemporary authors who differ in many respects. Despite their remarkable differences, their literary production shows interesting analogies that refer to unexpectedly similar ideological and political positions. Crucial, in this respect, is the intellectual and emotional involvement with the Italian cause highlighted by the three works that are the subject of this article: Shelley’s “A Tale of the Passions” and Hemans’s “The Death of Conradin” and The Vespers of Palermo. Besides sharing themes and sources, all these texts similarly oppose the male logic of conquering at all costs that has remained dominant throughout history.