Beatrice Cenci laid her neck on the chopping block. She’d helped to beat a powerful nobleman to death, but for many in Rome, her execution was a tragic perversion of justice. Beatrice’s father, Francisco, was a horrible abuser. His wife and three children all suffered at his hands. Pushed to the brink, the four Cencis grouped together to put an end to Francisco’s evil. The ensuing trial enthralled the city’s population, and gave rise to a legend about Beatrice that persists to this day. This entry in Dumas’ "Celebrated Crimes" nimbly explores issues of morality and justice, whilst also delivering a juicy true crime story. Alexandre Dumas (1802 - 1870) was a hugely popular 19th century French writer. Born of mixed French and Haitian heritage, Dumas first rose to prominence in Paris as a playwright, but later gained international fame with his historical fiction. Often co-authored with other writers, these stories wove together swashbuckling adventure, romance, and real events from France’s past. Among the best known are "The Three Musketeers", and its sequels "Twenty Years After", and "Le Vicomte de Bragelonne: Ten Years Later". Set across four decades, this trilogy follows the rise of the dashing D’Artagnan—from hot-headed soldier to trusted captain under Louis XIV. Dumas’ other novels include "The Count of Monte Cristo" and "The Black Tulip". His works have been adapted into more than 200 movies, including The Man in the Iron Mask starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Reproduction of the original: The Cenci by Alexandre Dumas

Beatrice Cenci was executed in Rome in September 1599- she was said to be sixteen, and was hauntingly beautiful. Her crime was the murder of her father, a member of one of the greatest Roman families, but his cruel treatment of her, including incestuous rape, moved the people of the city to take her side. Weeping crowds lined the streets, and a special mass is still said in Rome on the anniversary of her death. She was at once innocent and guilty, the victim and the perpetrator of appalling crimes. From that time since, the ambivalent image of Beatrice has attracted writers and artists, and often their obsession with her fed their own self-destruction. In this compelling study, Belinda Jack takes on the dangerous challenge of bringing Beatrice to life, and of tracing her power over those who tried to resurrect her, from the tragedy of Shelley to the novels of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville, from the sculpture of Harriet Hosmer and the photographs of Julia Margaret Cameron to the desperate drama of Antonin Artaud. As we follow the stories of their lives and ambitions, we see how they suffered critical condemnation for their works about Beatrice, and were sometimes pushed to the brink of insanity. Her story, which is one of lust, passion and violence, contains a powerful sense of the forbidden, the taboo that drives people over the edge. BEATRICE'S SPELL is at once scholarly and utterly engrossing, carrying the power of her story through time.

A wonderful biography of a fictional modern don Juan.

A Study Guide for Antonin Artaud's "The Cenci," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Drama For Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Drama For Students for all of your research needs.

This antiquarian book contains Alexandre Dumas's work, "The Cenci". It was first published as part of his eight-volume series "Celebrated Crimes" (1839-40), and recounts the shocking story of the the Cenci family. Extremely powerful and well-known in sixteenth century Rome, the story of the Cenci is one of the most gruesome in Roman History, one that is expertly and authentically retold here by the master story-teller Alexandre Dumas. Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) was a famous French writer. He is best remembered for his exciting romantic sagas, including "The Three Musketeers" and "The Count of Monte Cristo". Despite making a great deal of money from his writing, Dumas was almost perpetually penniless thanks to his decidedly extravagant lifestyle. His novels have been translated into nearly a hundred different languages, and have inspired over 200 motion pictures. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing this antiquarian book in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.