The author shows the English poet's genius in reshaping materials from an Italian neoclassical play to his own Romantic and Shakespearean work. This book includes the Italian original of Pieracci and an English translation. "The author has made two important and valuable contributions to the literature of the theater, for he has resurrected Pieracci's play and he has demonstrated its relevance to Shelley's work." —Barbara Groseclose, Comparative Drama.