Shelley’s "The Cenci"

Shelley's "The Cenci" is a dramatic poem based on the true story of Francesco Cenci, a 16th-century Italian nobleman who was cruel and abusive. His daughter, Beatrice Cenci, is depicted as a sympathetic figure driven by her despair and desire for justice after enduring her father's brutality. The play explores themes of tyranny, familial violence, morality, and the desire for justice, culminating in Beatrice's tragic rebellion against her oppressive father. Shelley uses this story to examine the profound effects of cruelty and the human longing for moral righteousness amid injustice.