The Betrothed: I Promessi Sposi

Renzo is one of the two protagonists in The Betrothed. At the beginning of the novel, he seems to be a simple village boy who has forsaken the wider world so that he can remain at home and marry the love of his life. Many people have told him about the riches available to men of his trade in Milan and Bergamo, but Renzo is enamored with Lucia. To Renzo, her devotion and her piety make her worth remaining in his hometown, as all he wants is to spend his life with her. His humble origins are explored as he moves further away from Lucia. When their wedding plans are disrupted, he flees to escape persecution. In Milan, he wrestles with his humility. In a literal sense, he moves from the edge of the crowd to the center, taking on an important role. He becomes drunk on the chaos of the city and the role of a leader just as much as he becomes drunk on the wine at the inn. For a humble boy from a small village, the city is a change of pace that demands that he change himself. He cannot be naïve in Milan: The simple village boy is forced to evolve.