Lanciotto, the brave but deformed heir of the Malatesta, is married for political reasons to Francesca of Ravenna, who falls in love with his handsome brother Paolo. Boker turns the story Dante made famous into a blank-verse tragedy with a bitter jester, Pepe, and gives the wronged husband a depth of feeling earlier versions lacked. The edition opens with a sketch of Boker’s life.
Widely regarded as one of the finest American verse dramas of the nineteenth century. Download the free EPUB.