ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that male characters in La mandragola conceive of a mother's virtù in commercial term that is, motherhood has worth insofar as it can be used to acquire objects that have value within patriarchal ideology. It outlines the play and exploration of the ways motherhood is constructed in Clizia clarifies how maternity within the play not only upsets the expectations of patriarchy but also inverts its authority structure. The mothers in La mandragola replace the value assigned to them by the men with their own perception of their worth. Whereas in La mandragola Nicia believes, albeit wrongly, that he rules as the paterfamilias, in Clizia the father hands over his paternal authority outright. In a striking contrast to fathering, Machiavelli portrays mothering as the ability to take decisive and effective actions as well as the ability to see beyond conventions and mere appearances.
