The Betrothed: I Promessi Sposi

The novel takes its title from the promise between Lucia and Renzo; they are the betrothed, i promessi sposi, the promised spouses. As such, their bond is defined by the promises that they make to one another. At the start of the novel, they have no ambition other than to speak their vows and become man and wife. Due to Don Rodrigo’s interference and Don Abbondio’s cowardice, however, they are denied the opportunity to make this promise official. They can promise their love to one another, but the words—when spoken before a priest—have an evident symbolic value. As well as the spiritual symbolism of a ritualized promise, the official marriage vows have a bureaucratic meaning that is denied to the young couple. If they can be officially married, they believe they will have some degree of protection from Don Rodrigo. He also believes this, as he interferes in their lives precisely to stop the sharing of the marriage vows. The marriage ceremony has a socialized meaning, as the characters strive very hard to either share their vows (Lucia and Renzo) or prevent the sharing of these vows (Don Rodrigo).

When Don Rodrigo becomes irritated by his inability to bring Lucia into his possession, he hires the Nameless One to do his dirty work. The Nameless One kidnaps Lucia, but the sight of her desperation and her piety inspires him to abandon his immorality and turn to God. Before Lucia is released, however, she spends a night in captivity. She is desperate and, in her desperation, she turns to the one figure in her life whom she completes trusts. She makes a vow with God, one which contradicts her promise to Renzo. If God helps her to achieve freedom, Lucia vows, then, she will remain a virgin for the rest of her life. This is a symbol of her devotion and her desperation. Lucia does not know that simply through her apparent piety, she has already inspired the change of heart that will result in her being released. She turns to God and makes her vow because she desperately desires to be free. The nature of the vow symbolizes what little she has to offer. Lucia, pursued by Don Rodrigo and kidnapped by the Nameless One, has very little to sacrifice. All she has is her enduring love for Renzo, so this is what she offers up to God. In exchange for her freedom, she is willing to offer God the one thing which would make her happy. Lucia’s vow is a symbolic sacrifice in which she is sacrificing her future for her freedom.

When Lucia reunites with Renzo, she refuses to break her vow. Her refusal is a symbolic demonstration of her faith, as she is willing to endure the suffering—made even worse by Renzo’s return and then further exacerbated by his refusal to honor her vow—to maintain her promise to God. On realizing the depths of Lucia’s devotion, Renzo returns to Fra Cristoforo. Through the priest, he is able to help Lucia navigate her vow in such a manner than she is willing to marry him once again. Fra Cristoforo exorcizes Lucia’s investment in her vow, using religious reasoning to justify why her promise to Renzo should predate and thus annul her vow with God. In this way, Lucia is able to both have her symbolic cake and eat it. She can be with the man she loves and, through Fra Cristoforo’s reasoning, not have to break any of the promises or vows which she has made. Lucia is able to marry Renzo while maintaining her spiritual sincerity. Her promise becomes a symbolic demonstration of piety, in which she shows her willingness to sacrifice and, through the priest, is rewarded for doing so.