In the early 20th century a number of dramatists made an attempt to follow in Gabriele d’Annunzio’s footsteps, in terms of language and style, since the influence of the Vate (the bard) was still very strongly felt in Italian taste and literature. Among these, Sem Benelli stands out: he met with outstanding success and wide fame in those days, thanks to “costume” pieces.

Born in Prato in 1877 from a lowly family, he became a journalist and a theatre writer. He obtained the first successful feedback from critics with the comedy in prose “Tignola” (1908), which is influenced by the style of the “crepuscolare” school and by exceedingly intimist mannerisms, and with “La maschera di Bruto” (Brutus’ Mask) (1908). Benelli won the public’s approval with the drama “Cena delle beffe” (“The Jest”, literally “The Supper of the Jesters”) (1909), which immediately made him famous. The author took part in the First World War, after which he retired to Zoagli, in the Liguria region, where he steadily wrote for the stage texts on historic or legendary themes, which however did not prove as successful as “The Jest”. He lived in Zoagli for the rest of his life, and died in 1949. “The Jest”, a play in four acts, is historically set in the times of Lorenzo the Magnificent, Lord of Florence, which is where the characters of the drama act. Giannetto Malespini is in open conflict with the two brothers, Neri and Gabriello Chiaramantesi, who, being enemies of the Medici, daily play cruel jokes on Giannetto himself, really making things very hard for him. Tired with these disputes, Lorenzo the Magnificent orders the parties to come to an agreement and pacification during a dinner in knight Tornaquinci’s house. Before the banquet starts, the Chiaramantesi abduct Ginevra, the young woman loved by Giannetto. Of the two brothers, it is Neri who decides to posses her by force, out of spite of his antagonist. Furthermore, Neri and Gabriello turn up at the knight’s home along with Ginevra herself, as a sign of contempt for Giannetto, who is looked upon as an apparently awkward and cowardly individual. But Giannetto immediately starts nursing an inner desire for fierce revenge, which will in the end lead to the tragedy and “justice” he yearns for. It is Giannetto himself who instigates Neri to prove what his real nature is, by inviting him to present himself armed with steel (with a billhook), at the venue where the flower of the anti-Medicean young men usually get together. Quite drunk, Neri sets out for Vacchereccia, whilst Giannetto sends a servant in advance of him to announce to everyone Neri’s crazy intention to kill anyone he will find in the wine shop. So Neri has to go through a whole night of fights. On the other hand, Giannetto, under the favour of night, manages to end up, in disguise, in Ginevra’s bedroom, thus paying his enemy back in his own coin. The following day, Neri finds out about the nasty joke Giannetto has played on him; he gets so furious that the men of the Magnificent think he is insane and take him away in chains, foaming at the mouth in humiliation. At this point it is a matter of assessing whether Neri is truly insane or not. A doctor and, what’s more, three women Neri had seduced and then abandoned, alternate in this evaluation. Whilst the first two women rejoice at Neri’s difficult circumstances, the third one, Lisabetta, still loves him in spite of everything and is well aware that he is in his right mind. Left alone with Neri, the young woman advises him to control himself and appear calm and inoffensive, so as to be released in her custody. Neri follows Lisabetta’s suggestion and is set free but, not yet satisfied, he wants to take revenge on his rival, and decides to kill him. He goes to see Ginevra, as she is preparing for the night. He tells her that he means to kill Giannetto while he is amorously in her arms, and orders her to go along with him or she will die too. However, Neri does not know that his brother Gabriello, although willing to vindicate his family’s honour by killing Giannetto, is even more eager to lie with Ginevra, at least once. So Giannetto astutely lends him his cloak, just as he had taken Neri’s on the night of the great jest. Unaware of all this, Nery hides in ambush and stabs Ginevra’s lover, taking him for Giannetto. But soon after he finds himself facing Giannetto alive and well, who tells him that he has been deceived and reveals to him that he has in fact stabbed Gabriello. Once he realises that he has actually killed his own brother and not his loathed enemy Giannetto, who has once again plaid a nasty joke on him, Neri really takes leave of his senses and ends up completely out of his mind: on his own, he vanishes without trace. As a confirmation of the continuing interest aroused by this play many years after its composition, in 1941 a film bearing the same title was directed by Alessandro Blasetti, with Amedeo Nazzari starring as Neri, Clara Calamai as Ginevra and Osvaldo Valenti as Giannetto. By using an archaically flamboyant language, Sem Benelli tried in some respects to recreate D’Annunzio’s style. Furthermore, the author appears to genuinely participate in the everlasting struggle between good and evil. The prevailing feelings in this drama are rage, sense of revenge and a desire for personal vengeance. The characters’ personalities are well defined, as they are transported with negative forces that are above their control, forces which they cannot and do not want to antagonise. The dark colours in which their confrontations are painted and the wickedness of the jests represent the setting of a story which is still very close to late 19th century historical dramas.

(trad. Interpres sas - Giussano)