Epitia

work by Giraldi

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June 26, 2026

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Epitia is a tragedy written by Giambattista Giraldi, an Italian poet and dramatist. It was first performed in 1541 and is notable for being one of the first modern tragedies on the Italian stage to follow classical principles. Giraldi's work was influenced by Aristotle's Poetics. While Epitia adhered to classical rules, Giraldi also incorporated new dramatic elements and, in some of his tragedies, adapted the classical model to include a happy ending, thus creating tragicomedy. Shakespeare's play Measure for Measure derives from Giraldi's Epitia.1

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Measure for Measure
Shakespeare adapted the story from Epitia, a tragedy by Italian dramatist Giambattista Giraldi (also called Cinthio), and especially from a two-part play by George Whetstone titled Promos and Cassandra (1578).
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Shakespeare adapted the story from Epitia, a tragedy by Italian dramatist Giambattista Giraldi (also called Cinthio), and especially from a two-part play by George Whetstone titled Promos and Cassandra (1578).
Read More

Giambattista Giraldi
…Cleopatra (1543); Selene; Eufimia; Arrenopia; Epitia, from which Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure derives; and Antivalomeni (1549)—he included new dramatic elements while conforming to the Aristotelian rules.
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…Cleopatra (1543); Selene; Eufimia; Arrenopia; Epitia, from which Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure derives; and Antivalomeni (1549)—he included new dramatic elements while conforming to the Aristotelian rules.
Read More