Creating the Perfect Renaissance Man in Castiglione’s The Courtier

Baldassare Castiglione’s The Courtier sets out to describe the perfect Renaissance man. Presented as a series of conversations between a group of clever individuals gathered in the palace of Urbino, the work provides descriptions of several different aspects of courtly interest. The discussion also includes Renaissance women, but to a much lesser degree. The courtier’s skills in profession, art, and sports are all addressed. While the group does not always end a debate in agreement, it is not difficult to tell what side Castiglione is on, and therefore, it is also not difficult to discover what personality traits and aspects he believes make up the perfect courtier.

The first section opens with Count Ludovico discussing his idea of the birth of the Renaissance man. Ludovico seems to believe that men of noble birth are better prepared to be courtiers than others. This is why the first item on his list of criteria is “be nobly born and of gentle race” (295) A nobleman who attempts to be a perfect courtier, but fails, has more to be embarrassed about than a man who fails but is not born of noble blood, as this ignoble has less of a name to tarnish and less of a reputation to upkeep. One who is not born of noble blood is not under public scrutiny to live up to his family’s name.

Ludovico then refers to his own lord when describing how a Renaissance man should behave. Like Lord Don Ippolito, the courtier should be graceful in both speech and action. He should be able to endear others to him through his personality, which should have “ a certain sweetness and manners so gracious” (296). The count counsels that those who do not come naturally to these behaviors can work to improve upon areas where they are lacking.

Lord Gaspar Pallavicino disagrees with Ludovico’s belief that a Renaissance man should be of noble birth. He argues that if this were the case, all noblemen would be successful courtiers, and those with humble births never would. Pallavicino believes that because fate plays a large part in a gentleman’s ability to be successful (or unsuccessful), any individual who is able to perfect his talents, appearance, attitude, and behavior, should be praised as a courtly gentleman. The two do not reach agreement on this issue, but as Ludovico responds that since they are attempting to describe the best example of a flawless courtier, noble birth should be at the top of the list. Because this is the last response in this section, it likely shows where Castiglione falls on the debate.

The next section is a discussion of the profession. Ludovico believes that the courtliest profession is that of arms and that any gentleman who practices them must be brave and show no cowardice. If a gentleman does behave without courage, he will lose his reputation forever. He does allow that an arms man who is fearful may stay out of harm’s way so long as he is not detected, but that the perfect courtier would never shy away from responsibility, no matter the danger. Being perfectly skilled is not the most important thing here, only that the courtier is willing to work on his craft. Ludovico cautions that a courtier who is skilled at arms needs to make sure that when he is not practicing, he is able to set it aside and remain the graceful, charismatic man the count describes earlier.

The group then discusses the importance of the courtier’s education. Ludovico believes that a perfect Courtier should be skilled in Greek and Latin language. He must be well-read and understand poetry and history. He should be able to write prose and poetry, especially the common language of the people so that he can use to impress others. He cautions that a perfect courtier should know how skilled he is so that if he is not very good, he will not embarrass himself by sharing his work. If he is very good, however, he must be careful not to accept praise too easily, and should always tell others that being a man of letters is secondary to his true profession, that of arms. Petro Bembo disagrees that arms be listed first, but Ludovico dismisses this as if the debate had been settled years ago and arms decided the better profession.

Arts are then discussed, using examples of past impressive figures who valued both music and painting. The perfect courtier should, like Socrates, be proficient at playing at least one instrument. He should also work to be a skilled painter so that he can imitate what is beautiful about nature. The count believes that being a good painter is proof that the courtier has knowledge of many things because one cannot be a successful painter without it.

The group then warns that while sportsmanship is important, the perfect courtier must be careful not to practice anything in front of people where he stands the chance of losing. They caution that, unless the courtier is certain that he will win, he must especially make sure to never wrestle with a peasant. It seems that there is nothing more shameful than losing to someone of a lower rank. On the other hand, sportsmanship is a good way to prove that it is not just noble birth that makes a courtier such a worthy individual, so it is agreed that sports when practiced carefully, are an important part of the perfect courtier’s life.

The discussion then turns to what makes a perfect court lady. Magnifico cautions that a woman of the court must not practice sports or exercise so that she will appear delicate and feminine. It is important that she does not gossip. Not much is said of education or profession, except that she must be well-spoken and able to manage her husband’s property. It is more important than she is kind, discrete, and graceful. Magnifico lists many things the court lady should not be, including “not arrogant, not envious, not slanderous, not vain, not quarrelsome,” and “not silly” (309). It is made clear that all of this is to make her better able to please the men around her. In doing so, Magnifico warns, however, that she must be careful not to be too eager to please, and that she should never engage in vulgar or sexual conversation. She should, of course, appear ashamed if she happens to be in the presence of this type of talk.

The conversation ends with a discussion of love. It is agreed that both courtly men and women are capable of it, but more attention is given to the proper way a man should care for a woman than the other way around. The Duchess explains that a courtier should always be aware of his lady’s beauty and grace. He should love her voice and music. He should be sure to love both her mind and body. It is made clear that it is the gentleman’s job to direct his lady toward purity and modesty. He is supposed to be a figure of authority and advise her.

Overall, Castiglione’s argument for the perfect Renaissance man is sensible enough. While it would probably be difficult to balance so many talents in one individual, the group never insists that the perfect courtier be perfect at each and every one of his talents. More than once throughout the conversation, Ludovico explains that a courtier can work to improve at things he does not excel at immediately. It seems that self-awareness is more important than anything. A perfect courtier must know what he is not completely skilled at so that he may work on those areas and not embarrass himself in public. Most of what makes a perfect courtier is his ability to appear perfect. Image is still very important today, at least in the minds of most people, so it is not hard to agree with Castiglione’s writings in that way. It is also important to be a well-rounded individual, which is basically what Ludovico and the others in this work are arguing for. People who are wealthy, well educated, and physically fit are more admired than people who aren’t, so it seems like these arguments still hold true today.

Work Cited

Castiglione, Baldassarre, and George Anthony Bull. The courtier. London: Penguin Books, 1976. Print.