Performance Anxiety: Federico Gonzaga at the Court of Francis I and the Uncertainty of Ritual Action
In April 1518, Federico II Gonzaga traveled to the court of Francis I in Amboise to compete in a joust honoring the firstborn son of the French king. The young prince hoped to achieve several vital diplomatic missions in addition to the anxious business of self-presentation at court. Federico perfor...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sixteenth Century Journal Publishers, Inc.
2002
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| In: |
The sixteenth century journal
Year: 2002, Volume: 33, Issue: 2, Pages: 333-352 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | In April 1518, Federico II Gonzaga traveled to the court of Francis I in Amboise to compete in a joust honoring the firstborn son of the French king. The young prince hoped to achieve several vital diplomatic missions in addition to the anxious business of self-presentation at court. Federico performed well and garnered high praise from his fellow courtiers; paradoxically, he failed to accomplish most of his goals. This article examines the correspondence of this prince and his parents through the anthropological approach of "practice theory" to suggest that rank and culture constrained a ritual participant's ability to act creatively while jockeying for position at court, and diminished the possibility of attaining social and material satisfaction. Therefore, the interpretation of any public event requires a precise analysis of its historical context to uncover various levels of meaning. |
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| ISSN: | 2326-0726 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The sixteenth century journal
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/4143911 |