The role of the Praenotamenta of Jodocus Badius Ascensius in shaping early modern dramatic criticism

Luis Alfonso de Carvallo in his dialogue Cisne de Apollo (Apollo's swan, 1602) has the allegorical character Lectura (Reading) respond to Zoilo's dis-missive comment on the role of comedy with a powerful statement: 'comedy is an imitation of life, a mirror of customs and an image of truth' (la comedia es una imitación de la vida, espejo de costumbres, imagen de verdad).¹ This quote is attributed to Cicero but only known to us through the fifth- century treatise De comoedia (On comedy) by grammarians Donatus and Euanthius.² It elaborates the concept of verisimilitude that is inherent to the comic genre and essential in triggering an emotional response in the audience.