Gender+and+Sexual+Expression+in+Italy

= Introduction = In Italy the Carnival season occurs forty days before Easter, ending with a final celebration the day before Ash Wednesday. Upon the commencement of Ash Wednesday, natives and tourists embark on a ritual fast as set by the restrictions of Lent (Italia, 2014).Carnival was a means by which Italians could escape the everyday realities of life.

Italy’s Carnival is most famous for its diverse selection of masks worn during the many events held within the Carnival season (The Italian Tribune, 2014). The carnival celebrations and masks were originally seen as subversive when Carnival first originally came into existence in the late 12th/early 13th centuries. Many laws were enacted to restrict future celebrations, but eventually the celebrations were fully reinstated in the late 20th century. = = = Carnival, Masks, and Gender = Masks have always been a main feature of the Venetian carnival. Traditionally, masks were incorporated in other holidays and events throughout the year. They were gradually added to carnival celebrations. Venetian masks usually cover the face completely, although some are made to partially cover the face (The Italian Tribune, 2014). The wearing of masks were included as a means of temporarily ignoring any signs social class, gender or religion.

Gender roles appear to be switched with the inclusion of masks. Women, assuming traditional roles within a Madonna/whore dichotomy, partake in carnival as a means of escaping traditional roles. Complete mask coverage and participation in events allows them to engage in ways they would normally do in their everyday lives. Wearing masks is seen as a liberating experience in which anonymity is the key feature, thus rendering them exempt from any social sanctions they would otherwise receive if they were uncovered. McClure (2008) further emphasizes that Carnival “offers temporary inversions of the power structure in which the young, the lowly, and the female ruled the day.” = = = Carnival & Theater = Theater performances also serve as a prominent event during the carnival season. Traditionally, male actors assume the roles of female characters that praised sodomy and the decadence of living a prominent life (Ruggiero, 2005). Having these various characters displayed onstage drew opposition from the Italian government. Reactions to male cross-dressing in theater was met with so much opposition, that the government banned any performances that included cross dressing of any kind (p. 749). Despite the government’s opposition, much of the law was ignored as natives continued to perform in comedic plays that celebrated a departure from traditional gender roles (pp. 749-750). Much of this style of performance is seen today, which includes female cross-dressing as well.

The Carnival season also created an opportunity for those that did not normally engage in plays and other performances (i.e. opera) to assume a different persona, whether male or female. Typically, to ensure anonymity, patrons of the theater are required to be fully masked and in costume while players and singers perform. Upon the ending of the season, regular performances would resume and the wearing of masks and costumes is completely optional (McClure, 2008).

Submitted by Shayla Benson

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=References =

Carnevale (2014). In The Italian Tribune. Retrieved from http://www.italiantribune.com/carnevale-across-italy/

Italian Carnivals (2014). In Italia. Retrieved from http://www.italia.it/en/travel-ideas/culture-and-entertainment/italian-carnivals.html

McClure, G.W. (2008). Women and the Politics of Play in Sixteenth-Century Italy: Torquato Tasso's Theory of Games. Renaissance Quarterly, 61(3), 750-791. Muir, E. (2006). Why Venice? Venetion society and the success of early opera. The journal of Interdisciplinary History, 36(3), 331-353.

Ruggiero, L. G. (2005). When Male Characters Pass as Women: Theatrical Play and Social Practice in the Italian Renaissance. The Sixteenth Century Journal, 36(3), 743-760.