Grace and Love in 'The Courtier' by Baldassare Castiglione - Essay Example

In a sense, Castiglione wants to present them as ideal types, as the "onorati esempi di virt" ( IV, 2, 448: "honored models of worthiness"[287]) as can be read from his prologues. "When lord Guidobaldo di Montefeltro, duke of Urbino, passed from this life, I together with several other knights who had served him remained in the service of duke Francesco Maria della Rovere, heir and successor to Guidobaldo's state; and as in my mind there remained fresh the odor of duke Guido's virtues and the satisfaction which I in those years had felt from the loving company of such excellent persons, as then frequented the court of Urbino".

Castiglione's goal in his work was to set his statements of praise for Urbino and its inhabitants in general and conventional terms. He did not cite the military exploits or civic triumphs of a character he praises, instead, he celebrates all of them for their virt, (virtue) their ingegno, (ingenuity) their ottime qualit (high dignity). Castiliogne pursues the elevation of Urbino's image to an exemplary moral excellence and its value for posterity. In his first two prologues, Castiglione highlights the superiority of Urbino's inhabitants.

In the prologue to Book III, Castiglione states that if Urbino's pastimes convince him of its excellence, he should be able to imagine easily how much greater the courtiers' virtuous actions were (III, 1, 336). In the last prologue, Castiglione praises the courtiers directly as "omini per virt singulari" ( IV, 2, 446: "men singular in worth"[286]). He viewed the court as a paragon of moral exempla ( IV, 2, 448: "chiari ed onorati esempi di virt"). The court is presented as an ethical model not only to other existing courts at that time but also to the succeeding generations to come.

Moreover, Castiglione confesses in the third prologue that he wrote his text carefully to "faria vivere negli animi dei posteri" (III, 1, 336: "make it live in the mind of posterity"[202]). Finally, as his culture upholds classical antiquity, he projects that the young and upcoming generation will envy his time because of the exemplary Urbino court. (III, 1, 336: "forse per l'avvenire non mancher chi per questo ancor porti invidia al secol nostro"). Similarly, the virtues of grace and love which are present in Castiliogne's work are also present in Christian morals and manners.

Christian morals are a function of moral discernment and moral reasoning. For instance, James Gustafson stated that moral discernment refer to basic dispositions that are shaped in part by the faith and trust Christians have as they offer themselves up to God. Moreover, James Gustafson stated that the concept of moral discernment was related to moral reasoning. Gustafson explained that moral reasoning pertains to a character, or personal moral ability, which covers dispositions, traits, and actions of the moral agent.

(Selnick, 1992). Castiliogne stated that the courtier is expected to serve and increase in favour with her Lady. He should instruct her in virtue