ABSTRACT

Patriarchy is predicated on the socioeconomic hegemony of masculinity. This chapter pays particular attention to the fundamental material base for the power of masculinity within patriarchy, and to the ways this finds expression in the plays, given their specific historical, topographical and sociocultural setting. Avarice and prodigality are traditionally associated with masculinity in cultural representation, as is the possession of material wealth. In their concern with materialism, they are also usually linked with each other, being two sides of the same coin. Like avarice, prodigality works counter to mercantile principles in Carlo Goldoni's plays. Prodigal masculinity operates in opposition to patriarchal family values by prioritizing the present pleasures of financial risk-taking over planning for the future material stability of the family unit and the well-being of offspring and future heirs. Prodigal masculinity in the plays is characterized by playfulness, sociability and the spending of both money and time outside the home.