Antonia Pulci, sacred drama and the parable of the Prodigal Son

ABSTRACT: I will examine the “dramatised word” in La rappresentazione del figliuol prodigo by Antonia Pulci, the only known female author of Florentine drama in the 15th century. The strong realism of the description of contemporary life and the linguistic playfulness of the dialogues that shape the various facets of the prodigal’s personality contribute to the creative and dynamic power of the performed word in this sacred drama.

Emilia Di Rocco is a member of the Power of the Word Project Advisory Board. She teaches Comparative Literature at the Sapienza University of Rome. She was Fulbright Chair Distinguished Lecturer at Northwestern University (2021). Her recent publications include Raccontare il ritorno. Temi e trame della letteratura (2017) and two edited volumes, Voci femminili dell'antica Roma. Ritratti letterari di donne romane (2024) and Myths of Origins. Literary and Cultural Patterns (2024 with Chiara Lombardi). She is currently working on a book on the parable of the prodigal son in Western art and literature.