Belfagor the Archdevil - Niccolò Machiavelli

Summary

"Belfagor arcidiavolo" (Belphagor the Archdevil) is a satirical novella by Niccolò Machiavelli, which tells the story of the archdevil Belfagor. In Hell, Pluto and the infernal council are troubled by the increasing number of damned men who arrive, invariably blaming their wives for their earthly miseries and ultimate damnation. To investigate this widespread complaint, Belfagor is chosen to descend to Earth. He must take human form, marry a woman, live as a mortal for ten years, and experience the full "vexations and trials" of married life.

Belfagor arrives in Florence as a wealthy gentleman named Roderigo of Castile and marries the beautiful but exceedingly proud and extravagant Onesta. Her insatiable demands for luxury, coupled with her manipulative family's influence, quickly deplete Roderigo's fortune, drive him into massive debt, and ultimately force him to flee Florence in disguise to escape ruin and imprisonment.

Desperate, Roderigo is helped by a shrewd peasant named Gianmatteo del Bricca. In exchange for his freedom, Roderigo, revealing his true demonic identity, promises to make Gianmatteo rich. The plan is for Belfagor to possess wealthy women, making them appear mad, and then allow Gianmatteo to "exorcise" him for a hefty fee, thereby gaining fame and fortune. This scheme works successfully several times.

However, when Belfagor is forced to possess the King of France's daughter, he initially resists. Gianmatteo, under threat of death if he fails, devises a cunning trick. During the exorcism, he whispers to Belfagor that his dreaded wife, Onesta, is approaching with a retinue, having heard of his fame and come to reclaim him. Terrified by the mere mention of Onesta, Belfagor flees the princess's body in an instant, abandoning his terrestrial mission and confirming to Hell that wives can indeed be the source of immense human misery. Gianmatteo thus fulfills his promise and lives a prosperous life.

Book Sections

Section 1: The Complaint in Hell and Belfagor's Mission

In the depths of Hell, the realm ruled by Pluto, the infernal spirits observe a peculiar and consistent phenomenon: all the men arriving in Hell, regardless of their sins, unanimously complain that their wives were the sole cause of their damnation. This widespread complaint causes significant debate among the archdevils. Pluto, concerned that these accusations might not be entirely true and that they could be diminishing the perceived justice of Hell, convenes a council. After much deliberation, it is decided that one of the archdevils must undertake a mission to Earth. This devil is to assume human form, marry, live as a mortal for ten years, and experience firsthand the "vexations and trials" of married life to determine the truth of these claims. Belfagor, an archdevil known for his pride and cunning, is chosen for this challenging task. He is given 100,000 ducats from the treasures of Hell to establish himself on Earth and is ordered to report back his findings after the decade is complete.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Pluto	King of Hell, authoritative, concerned with the truth and the reputation of Hell.	To resolve a widespread complaint from damned men and ascertain if wives are truly the cause of their damnation.
Belfagor	Archdevil, initially confident and somewhat arrogant about his abilities.	To fulfill the mission set by Pluto and the infernal council, to prove or disprove the blame placed on wives.
Damned Men	Numerous, arriving in Hell, lamenting their fate.	To blame their wives for their earthly miseries, financial ruin, and ultimately, their damnation.

Section 2: Roderigo's Arrival and Marriage in Florence

Belfagor arrives on Earth and chooses Florence as his initial base, adopting the human identity of Roderigo of Castile. He establishes himself as a wealthy and esteemed gentleman, using the 100,000 ducats provided by Hell. Roderigo sets about finding a wife, a crucial part of his mission. He is drawn to Onesta (ironically meaning "Honesty" or "Integrity"), the daughter of Messer Amerigo Donati, a renowned Florentine nobleman. Onesta is celebrated for her exceptional beauty and grace, but also secretly known for her excessive pride and extravagant nature. Roderigo, captivated by her outward charm and beauty, ignores warnings about her character and proceeds with the marriage. He believes that his vast wealth and the lessons from Hell about human misery will allow him to manage his chosen wife.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Roderigo (Belfagor)	Disguised archdevil, wealthy, initially optimistic about his ability to manage a human wife, blinded by Onesta's beauty.	To fulfill his mission by marrying a human woman and experiencing married life, to find a beautiful and socially acceptable wife.
Onesta	Beautiful, noble, exceedingly proud, highly extravagant, demanding, and manipulative.	To live a life of utmost luxury and social status, to assert control, and to satisfy her endless desires for wealth and possessions.
Messer Amerigo Donati	Onesta's father, a Florentine nobleman.	To secure a prestigious and wealthy husband for his daughter, likely benefiting from the connection and Roderigo's fortune.

Section 3: Roderigo's Ruin and Flight

Roderigo's marital bliss quickly turns into a nightmare. Onesta's insatiable desires for expensive clothes, jewels, lavish parties, and a grand lifestyle rapidly deplete his fortune. Her entire family, including her brothers and sisters, move into Roderigo's home, further straining his resources with their constant demands for favors, loans, and positions of influence. Roderigo tries to curb Onesta's extravagance, but she masterfully manipulates him, feigning illness, sadness, or using her family to pressure him into complying. Within a few years, the initial 100,000 ducats are entirely gone, replaced by enormous debts. Roderigo's friends abandon him as his financial situation worsens, and he finds himself pursued relentlessly by creditors, facing imprisonment and utter ruin. Unable to endure the constant demands and the shame, Roderigo decides to flee Florence in disguise, leaving behind his debts, his terrifying wife, and her demanding family. He is pursued by both creditors and the city guard.

Section 4: Gianmatteo's Help and the Exorcism Scheme

Desperate and on the run, Roderigo seeks refuge in the house of a poor peasant named Gianmatteo del Bricca. Gianmatteo initially plans to turn Roderigo in for the reward offered for his capture. However, Roderigo, sensing the peasant's shrewdness, reveals his true identity as an archdevil and explains his mission from Hell and the horrific experience with Onesta. He promises Gianmatteo immense wealth in exchange for his help in escaping the current predicament and a future partnership. The plan is for Belfagor to possess wealthy women, making them appear insane and incurable by doctors or priests. Gianmatteo will then be called upon as an "exorcist," claiming he can cast out the demon. Belfagor will only leave the possessed woman when Gianmatteo commands him to, thereby making Gianmatteo famous and rich from the large sums demanded for the "exorcisms." Gianmatteo, seeing an opportunity for great fortune, agrees to the scheme. Roderigo manages to escape his pursuers, and soon after, news spreads that he has died, effectively erasing his human identity.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Gianmatteo del Bricca	A shrewd, opportunistic, and cunning peasant, quick to recognize a valuable opportunity.	To escape poverty, to gain immense wealth and social standing through the devil's help, to outsmart others.

Section 5: The First Exorcisms and Gianmatteo's Success

Belfagor initiates their plan. He begins by possessing a wealthy young woman in Florence, causing her to behave wildly, speak in unknown tongues, and appear completely mad. Despite the efforts of numerous doctors and priests, no one can cure her. Gianmatteo is eventually summoned, his reputation having begun to spread. He performs elaborate fake rituals, and at the predetermined moment, Belfagor leaves the woman, who immediately returns to her senses. Gianmatteo demands and receives a large sum of money for his "cure," solidifying his growing fame as a masterful exorcist. This pattern is repeated several times in different cities across Italy. Belfagor possesses other wealthy women, and Gianmatteo is called to "exorcise" him, each time earning a substantial fee. The peasant quickly becomes incredibly rich and a celebrated figure across Europe, while Belfagor fulfills his part of the bargain, though growing weary of the constant possessions.

Section 6: The King of France's Daughter and the Final Trick

Belfagor eventually grows tired of the endless cycle of possessions and desires to complete his mission and return to Hell. He decides this will be his last possession. However, fate intervenes when the King of France's daughter falls gravely ill, believed to be possessed by a powerful demon. Gianmatteo, now the most renowned exorcist in all of Europe, is urgently summoned to the French court. Belfagor, inside the princess, initially refuses to leave, sending Gianmatteo away and warning him not to return. The King, desperate and furious, threatens Gianmatteo with death if he fails to cure his daughter.

Gianmatteo, facing execution, devises a desperate but cunning plan. He requests that the King prepare a grand public square outside the princess's chamber, filled with the largest number of trumpeters, drummers, bell-ringers, and musicians possible, ready to create an immense cacophony at his signal. During the "exorcism," as the noise reaches its peak, Gianmatteo leans in and whispers to Belfagor that he has just seen his dreaded wife, Onesta, approaching the palace with an enormous retinue. She has supposedly heard of his fame and come to reclaim him for his debts and to continue her demands. Terrified beyond anything he experienced in Hell, Belfagor flees the princess's body immediately and with such haste that he never possesses another person, confirming his ultimate and utter aversion to his former wife.

Section 7: Belfagor's Return to Hell and the Conclusion

Having successfully driven Belfagor away and freed the princess, Gianmatteo receives an immense reward from the grateful King of France. He returns home wealthy and lives a long, prosperous, and respected life, having skillfully outwitted a devil.

Belfagor, for his part, returns to Hell, completing his ten-year mission. He reports to Pluto and the other archdevils that the complaints of the damned men were not only true but understated. He recounts his harrowing experience with Onesta, emphasizing that the torments of Hell paled in comparison to the miseries inflicted by an extravagant and demanding wife. He concludes that wives are indeed a primary source of earthly vexation and damnation for men. His report is taken as definitive proof, validating the damned men's claims and leaving the other devils in awe of the power of human women to cause misery.

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Genre: Satirical novella, philosophical fiction, social satire, dark comedy.

Author Facts:

• Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) was an Italian diplomat, philosopher, historian, writer, and political theorist during the Renaissance.
• He is widely regarded as the father of modern political philosophy and political science.
• His most famous work is The Prince (Il Principe), a treatise on realist political theory, which gained him a reputation for cynicism and the term "Machiavellian."
• Beyond political treatises, Machiavelli also wrote plays (La Mandragola), historical accounts (Florentine Histories), poetry, and other short prose works like Belfagor arcidiavolo.
• His writings are characterized by a pragmatic, often ruthless, and highly insightful observation of human nature and power dynamics.

Morale:
The primary morale of "Belfagor arcidiavolo" is a satirical commentary on the perils and miseries of marriage, particularly when one's spouse is extravagant, demanding, and manipulative. It suggests that earthly human vexations, especially those caused by a bad marriage, can be far more terrible than infernal punishments, even for a devil. More broadly, it critiques human avarice, pride, and the destructive power of unchecked desires, showing how these traits can lead to ruin. The story also highlights the triumph of human cunning (Gianmatteo's) over both demonic power and desperate circumstances. From a Machiavellian perspective, it demonstrates the necessity of shrewdness and the ability to adapt to adverse situations, even for a devil, and how even the most powerful can be brought low by personal weaknesses or unforeseen human factors.

Curiosities:

• Novella Tradition: "Belfagor arcidiavolo" belongs to the Italian literary tradition of the novella, a short, often satirical prose narrative, distinct from a modern novel.
• Ironic Naming: The name "Onesta" (meaning "Honesty" or "Integrity") for the extravagant, deceitful, and manipulative wife is a classic example of Machiavelli's ironic humor and social critique.
• Versatility of Machiavelli: While Machiavelli is predominantly known for his serious political philosophy in The Prince, this novella showcases his lighter, satirical, and comedic side, demonstrating his versatility as a writer.
• Folklore Parallels: The theme of a devil or supernatural being taking human form and suffering due to human weaknesses (especially involving women) has roots in various European folklore and religious tales, suggesting Machiavelli may have drawn inspiration from existing popular narratives.
• Adaptations: The story has been adapted into various forms over centuries, including operas (e.g., Respighi's Belfagor), plays, and films, testifying to its enduring appeal and comedic potential.
• Dating: The exact date of composition is uncertain, but it is believed to have been written sometime between 1518 and 1527, making it a product of his later years when he was in exile and reflecting on society.