ISABELLA, OR THE POT OF BASIL
SUMMARY
Lorenzo and Isabella are young Florentines, living in
Florence, Italy during the Medieval era . At this time,
Florence was one of the richest cities in the world, and
the banking capital of Europe. Isabella is of aristocratic
heritage, and her brothers are wealthy - so they are very
set on preserving their wealth by marrying Isabella off to
a rich suitor. Lorenzo is an unsuitable love interest for
Isabella, as he is of a lower class - being employed by one
of the brothers. In their eyes, he is not wealthy enough to
be considered a suitable match for her, either financially
or in terms of social status.
Lorenzo knows this, so even though he loves Isabella he
tries hard to keep it a secret. She feels the same, and
represses her intense feelings for the same reason. They
cry into their pillows, saying they can’t stand it any longer.
Then one day, they are both sick from keeping their love
to themselves, and Isabella faintly cries out Lorenzo’s
name, being stressed by how sick he looks - this is enough
for him to realise that she loves him back, and they begin
a hidden relationship, meeting in secret trysts at dawn
and dusk.
They have a brief moment of happiness, but then the
brothers catch on to their love. Jealous and angry, they
conspire to lead Lorenzo into a forest and brutally
murder him. Then, they tell Isabella that he’s gone away
to a far off land, and they don’t think that he’ll ever return.
Isabella is heartbroken; her beauty and youth begin to
wither away.
Lorenzo visits Isabella as a ghost, perhaps while she’s
dreaming. He reveals that he was murdered and tells her
where he was buried - in his ‘forest tomb’. With a maid,
Isabella goes back to the forest and digs him up. She takes
his head back to Florence with her, and cries over it. To
keep it hidden but also close to her, she buries it in a pot
and plants basil over it; she spends most of her free time
crying into the pot, and as a result it grows into the most
beautiful basil in the whole kingdom.
The brothers eventually realise that the pot contains
Lorenzo’s head, they steal it and Isabella becomes frantic,
not understanding why they would take it from her. She
dies soon afterwards.
, VOCABULARY
Stanzas 1 - 6
I III
Fair - beautiful, as in a ‘fair maiden’, but also ‘good’, Latch - the door handle
‘holy’, ‘just’, ‘right’
Chamber - bedroom
Palmer - a pilgrim, someone on a spiritual journey
Vespers - prayers
Self-same - the same
Turn’d - turned
Stir of heart - moving the heart to feel a strong
emotion, such as love or inspiration IV
Malady - sickness Plight - suffering
Weep - cry My lady’s boon - my lady’s favour (ask for her to
begin a relationship)
II
V
Morn - morning
Domain - world, home - ‘fell within the rose’s just
Tenderer - softer, more loving domain’ is a phrase meaning ‘the story belonged to
the realms of love’, as the rose symbolises love
Eve - evening
VI
Stir - move
Conceit - a symbol or metaphor, but also an absurd
Rill - a small stream belief, such as an arrogant belief
Lute-string - the strings on a ‘lute’, a medieval Yet - but
instrument that’s similar to a guitar
Meek - week and feeble
Broidery - embroidery, sewing
