Moral Ambiguity in Stigliani’s Il Mondo Nuovo : The Story of Sifante

This article explores the representation of one of the minor characters in Tommaso Stigliani’s 1628 Italian epic poem on Columbus’ early adventures in the new world. Comparing Stigliani’s account of the character, Sifante, with the account of the corresponding character in his source text, the article suggests that Stigliani’s mixed representation of Sifante as someone who stands between virtue and vice reflects Stigliani’s perspective on the Spanish mission, poised between acknowledgement of the wrongs inflicted upon the native peoples by the Spanish and celebration of the Spanish achievement in the new world. In addition, the treatment of Sifante’s wife reveals Stigliani’s intermediate position between acknowledging women’s autonomy and reaffirming stereotypical views of feminine emotionality and passivity.