WORKSHEET

BEPPO : A Venetian Story

By Lord Byron, 1818

Beppo is Byron’s first poem written in ottava rima - an Italian stanza of 8 iambic pentameter
lines rhyming a b a b a b c c. In Italian ottava rima was first used by Boccaccio in the 14th
century, and later by Ariosto and Tasso. It was considered to be a suitable verse form for
serious epic poetry. But already in the 15th century Luigi Pulci used it for the mock-heroic,
ironic style. It was this purpose that attracted Byron (through an English version of Pulci’s
poem, published in 1817) who saw in ottava rima great stylistic potential for comic and satiric
verse in conversational style. His two other ottava rima poems are The Vision of Judgment
(1822) and Don Juan (1819-1824), the latter considered Byron’s masterpiece.

The plot: The poem tells a story of a Venetian lady, Laura, whose husband, a merchant
called Beppo ( a diminutive of Giuseppe) has been lost at sea for several years. She presumes
him dead and takes on a Cavalier Servente , for company and ‘for protection’ ( the Count).
When attending the Venetian Carnival she is observed by a Turk, who then later follows her
and the Count home. He turns out to be her husband – Beppo who has returned home after the
life of full of dangers and adventures, but with considerable amount of money that he made
after joining the pirates. His wife Laura receives him, he is also received back (re-baptized) in
the Catholic church and he and the Count remain friends.
The story is slight, based on an anecdote that Byron heard at a party. It is a narrative but of a
different type from Byron’s Oriental tales. It is digressive in its structure, making satiric
comments on English and Italian morals ( often comparing the two traditions), on Catholic
and Protestant religion, on social manners of the two countries. Its lighthearted tone and
satirical perspective reveal a different attitude to love and honour as presented in Byron’s
Oriental tales. The author demonstrates his great skill in drawing character sketches and
providing witty asides. The characters of the story are, however, overshadowed by the
experienced and irreverent narrator, familiar with Italian and English customs and manners,
about whom the reader learns more than about the characters in the story. The logic of the
poem is very much the logic of conversation when – apart from being told the details of the
story in several stages or portions – “ we are being entertained by the anecdotes, reflections,
descriptions, comments and feelings of a brilliant and interesting narrator who never runs
short of things to tell us.”(Deryn Chatwin)
The poem consists of 99 stanzas (792 lines). The story begins in stanza 21 (line 161).

1 What is the content of the first twenty stanzas ? Can it be called a digression ? Why ? (Why
not ?) What thematic motifs can e distinguish in this part ?

2. What is the narrator’s concern in the first ten stanzas ? How can you describe the
movement of argument (or direction of the monologue) in stanzas 11-14 ? What is the point
of the detailed suggestions as to how the traveller should obtain his sauces (Stanza 8) ?

3. Stanzas 15 to 18 continue the description of Italian women. What is the tone of the
description? Is the attitude of the narrator to the object described quite clear ? Give the
instances of the ironic ‘jabs’ in the passage.

4. Stanzas 19 and 20 concentrate on gondolas. Why ? What is the dominant imagery in these
stanzas ? Do you think it is thematically justified ? What is the tone of the narrator’s voice ?
What is the effect of such a description ?

5.Stanzas 21-35 tell the first part of the story of Laura, her husband and the Count. What are
the main traits of the three characters ? What is the narrator’s attitude to them ? Give a few
instances of the jokes he tells describing the characters. What sort of jokes are they ?

6. Stanzas 36- 52 (ll. 281-416) introduce a long digression in the story. What theme brings it
about ? What are the particular directions of the digression? Stanzas 41-46 are usually
perceived as Byron’s serious recreation of his love of Italy. What particular reasons does he
give for this affectionate attitude ? Is the poet’s tone really serious ? What is the role of the
references to England in the passage (Stanzas 41-46) ? What is the content of Stanzas 47-49 ?
What is the tone of the narratorial voice in these stanzas ? The last three stanzas in the
digression (ll. 393-416) introduce the author’s comments on his own style of writing. How
does he speak of himself ? In what tone ? To what extent can the reader believe him?

7. Stanzas 53-55 describe the relationship of Laura and the Count. What details are given
about their mutual relations? The last stanza of the passage is digressional in character . What
does it digress upon ? What is the tone of this digression ? What does it tell us about the
narrator ( or: what does the narrator want us to know about himself)?
8. The Carnival ball at the Ridotto attended by Laura and the Count provides an occasion for
social, political and philosophical comments also including the English scene (ll. 465-496;
Stanzas 59-62). What information about Byron’s times do they convey ?

9. Stanzas 65 -- 67 wittily describe Laura’s behaviour and her attitude to other women (here
presented as universal female features). Stanza 68 introduces the author’s comment on
women’s character. From what point of view is the comment made ? Is the tone of the stanza
serious ? How can we know that ?

10. Stanza 69 depicts one of the crucial moments in the plot: Laura is being observed by a
Turk. How is this important scene presented ? What does Laura think of the Turk staring at
her ? The scene provides an occasion for the narrator to digress for 11 stanzas . What is the
problem (or problems) the digression focuses on ? How is the digression constructed ? What
is the point of this digression ? If its aim is satirical, what is it a satire of ?

11. How is the most dramatic scene in the story presented ? (Stanzas 88-90). The two men
-the Count and the Turk - are contrasted : how is the contrast worked out ? What is Laura’s
response to the unexpected turn of events ? (Stanzas 91-93) What does it tell us of her
character ? What does it tell us of the narrator’s attitude to his heroine ?

12. The last six stanzas cover the story of Beppo’s past life and his ‘reclaimed’ life in Venice.
– with Laura and the Count. What is the most important piece of information about Beppo’s
life back home? What is the effect of such a quick ending of the story? Why do you think
there are no digressions in the last passage ? Do you think the last lines (“My pen…etc.)
present the narrator revealing an attitude of true or mock modesty ?

13. “[Beppo] satirizes English literature, social life and culture. [It reveals] a dangerous
undercurrent attacking his own marriage. Byron was right in maintaining that Beppo ‘has
politics and ferocity’ (Fiona MacCarthy: Byron: Life and Legend, p.334). Do you agree with
the critic and with Byron in their opinions about Beppo ? To you personally – what is the
poem most conspicuously about ?