Abstract

Who or what exactly does "Il Gattopardo" in the title of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's celebrated novel refer to? Previous studies have given rise to a cliché, in that the name "Gattopardo" is used as an antonomasia for the main character in the novel: Prince Fabrizio Corbera. The paper provides a thorough analysis of the occurrences of the word "Gattopardo" in the novel, in order to contend the validity of this cliché. In the actual text, "Gattopardo" has at least three distinct values, which the author has pieced together as something of a humorous symphony.