The Betrothed: I Promessi Sposi

“We are honorable men who mean him no harm, so long as he does the right thing.”

The two bravi who threaten Don Rodrigo reveal the nebulous nature of right and wrong at this particular moment in history. The moral code of the bravi dictates that right and wrong are based entirely on whoever has the most money or whoever is the best at employing violence. The right thing in this situation, they suggest, is for Don Rodrigo to stop the marriage between Renzo and Lucia. The perversion of morality exemplified by the bravi is illustrated by the dual meaning of their words. They claim to mean no harm but, as bravi, harm is all they have to offer.

“It’s not a question of right or wrong. It’s a question of power.”

Renzo is a romantic man. He wants to marry Lucia despite whatever danger this might present to his life. Don Abbondio is a pragmatist. He refuses to perform the wedding, not because doing so is right or wrong, but because he has determined that Don Rodrigo has all the power and, thus, the capacity to dictate what happens. Renzo’s romanticism contrasts with Don Abbondio’s pragmatism, the latter of which reveals why the society has fallen into this situation. So many people accept Don Abbondio’s framing of morality, as dictated by who holds all the power, that they have rendered themselves powerless.