This article analyses five of Alfieri’s heroes (Orestes, Don Garzia, Rosmunda, Saul and Mirra)
and tries to discover if their actions and behaviour can be linked to the theme of the double, despite
the fact that Alfieri had no intention of analysing this literary archetype, as is known from his silence
on the subject.
Their personality is characterized by division and projection, which is also to be found in tales of
the double; the article tries to demonstrate that these diseases are caused by the double.
The article considers the theme of the double or doppelganger, both in literature and in
psychoanalysis, with special attention to Otto Rank, who was one of the leading experts on the
subject.

This article analyses five of Alfieri’s heroes (Orestes, Don Garzia, Rosmunda, Saul and Mirra)
and tries to discover if their actions and behaviour can be linked to the theme of the double, despite
the fact that Alfieri had no intention of analysing this literary archetype, as is known from his silence
on the subject.
Their personality is characterized by division and projection, which is also to be found in tales of
the double; the article tries to demonstrate that these diseases are caused by the double.
The article considers the theme of the double or doppelganger, both in literature and in
psychoanalysis, with special attention to Otto Rank, who was one of the leading experts on the
subject.