The nature of relationships, especially the closeness or distance that exists between individuals, can be gauged to a large extent by the information that is shared between them. The more that sensitive information is shared between people, about themselves or others, the more likely it is that such a relationship is a close one. It is, of course, tied into trust, a trust that information will not be used to embarrass or hurt or betray.
Remarkably, the person in whom Casanova appears to have confided the most is not, as we might expect, Marie, but Stefano. In particular, Stefano knows all about Casanova’s relationship with de Bernis as well as his past shenanigans in Venice. On the other hand, Casanova has kept secret from Marie the true nature of his friendship with the Marquise d’Urfé. It is not that Marie and Casanova are not close, clearly, they are, but Casanova’s openness with Stefano highlights to the audience that a special bond exists between the two, a bond which is all the more surprising considering how different they are in almost every conceivable way. The result of the unexpected closeness of their relationship adds an extra layer of interest to the story as it gives the audience something else to speculate about.
‘Casanova in Paris: The Shadows of the King’ is freely available here.
27 long form articles on Casanova’s life and times are freely available here.
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