Andria (Machiavelli) Andria (Machiavelli) Andria is the first play written by Niccolò Machiavelli, published in the period 1517-1520. It is a translation of a play written by the Latin comedy writer Terence, who had originally taken it from the Greek dramatist Menander. It is one of the examples of Machiavelli as a comedy writer, along with "The Mandrake" and the "Clizia". The play has been considered by some scholars semi-autobiographical. The story is about an old man, Simone, who wants his son, Panfilo, to marry Filumena, the daughter of his neighbour Cremete. Panfilo has, however, a secret love affair with Glicerio, a
Machiavelli as a dramatist the willingness to endanger his life that make him deserving of his love Lucrezia and worthy of authority. Opposedly, the antagonist Nicia who already holds power, like an inherited prince, owes himself to "Fortuna" and loses her because of his passiveness. By having the characters overstep each other to better themselves, Machiavelli uses "commedia dell'arte" (artful comedy) to portray recent Florentine political events. Therefore, each character is representative of a political figurehead, again reiterating ideas from "The Prince" with the help of masks and stock figures. In "Mandragola" there is the classic old husband, youthful wife, competent charlatan and foraging