Mandragola – known in English as The Mandrake – is Niccolo Machiavelli’s most renowned comedy. It is widely considered the greatest stage play of the Italian Renaissance, and one of the most brilliant comedies ever written. Mandragola is admired for its blunt and sober portrayal of human nature and the prominent role of deceit in the shaping of reality. This new Hebrew translation is accompanied by a comprehensive introduction and interpretative notes. The introduction documents the rebirth of western theatre in the Italian Renaissance, and examines the relation between Machiavelli’s comedy and his ‘serious’ writings.
