The Courtier Castiglione Summary

To be a courtier, one has to be one of the many attendants that visit the court of a monarch or other royalty regularly, but an elite Renaissance male and female each had their own role in these courts. The author of The Courtier, Castiglione, wrote of the expectations of both men and women in royal courts. Castiglione wrote the expectations of male courtiers to be proficient in all areas including Greek and Latin, the appreciation of art and the humanities, athleticism, music, and military skills. Not to mention in showing these skills, men were to display sprezzatura or with grace and without effort as well as praising himself and not causing “ annoyance or envy in the person who listens to him” (The Courtier Castiglione 1). Compared to men