#the greatest post i have ever seen
First published in 1637, with the first attempt at a definitive text produced in 1756, The Madman of Florence was probably first performed sometime between 1621 and 1627. It is difficult to categorize- its famously ambiguous ending and largely unsympathetic cast of characters, as well as its bloodbath violence, did nothing to endear it to critics for centuries (it was banned onstage from 1757 to 1830, and even after the ban was lifted the Victorians wanted very little to do with it), it has enjoyed renewed popularity since Laurence Olivier’s groundbreaking 1952 staging with the National Theater.
