http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucretia#The_theme_in_literature_and_music
Niccolò Machiavelli's comedy La Mandragola is loosely based on Lucretia.

- комедия Макиавелли (напоминает "Маккавей") - фактически комический вольный пересказ истории изнасилования римлянки Лукреции, т.е. Девы Марии, согласно ФиН (см. "Царский Рим..."), она же Елена Прекрасная, похищенная троянцами и т.д. История начинается со спора о красоте женщин, итальянок и француженок, всплывает имя честной Лукреции, жены богатого и старого (или пожилого) простака Ниче (messer Nicia), который у нее "под башмаком", и у которых проблема в том, что за шесть лет брака до сих пор нет детей, и они страстно желают их иметь, в частности Ниче очень желает "мальчонку", наследника. Молодой горячий Каллимако решает во что бы то ни стало овладеть красавицей, войдя в доверие к Ниче, переодевшись доктором и предложив ему чудесное средство от бесплодия - настой мандрагоры - которым пользовались сами король и королева Франции (имена не названы. Кто такие могли быть?). Каллимако с сообщниками придумывают уловку, что якобы после приёма мандрагоры первый переспавший с Лукрецией обязательно умрёт через восемь дней и на эту роль нужно найти какого-нибудь первого попавшегося уличного молодчика и которым оказывается в итоге переодетый Каллимако. Лукреция, после уговоров (в том числе и собственной матери, бывшей в молодости гульливой, и духовника) и опасений, соглашается со своей ролью, восприняв это как веление небес и предначертание свыше. Т.е. поступает, по-видимому, в соответствии с "макиавеллиевской" мудростью и принципами. В "Государе" есть мысль что богиня Фортуна покоряется молодым. В последних сценах комедии настойчиво звучит мотив смерти и воскресения: "сегодня утром ты (т.е. Лукреция) всё равно что снова родилась на свет... а вчера казалась полумёртвой", "...вы привили новый росток к старому дереву". В действии 3, явлении 11 духовник Лукреции Тимотео обещает ей молить за неё ангела Рафаила, что можно счесть вольным намёком за Благовещение (Лука 1, 28-38). Как указывают в комментариях, "Используются также мотивы книги Товита, где с помощью ангела Рафаила невеста главного героя освобождается от власти демона, погубившего семерых её мужей (ср. с ядом мандрагоры)." (невеста - просто "Синяя борода" в женском обличье...)

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mandrake
The plot and importance of the play is mentioned in the 16th Letter of Amabed in Voltaire's Les Lettres d'Amabed (1769) stating that "the piece mocks the religion which Europe preaches, of which Rome is the centre, and the throne of which is Papal See".<1>

О возможных прототипах из современной Макиавелли истории Италии:

http://www.emachiavelli.com/Mandrasum.htm Summary of Machiavelli's La Mandragola
...Machiavelli also notes in the prologue that the intended audience is Florence. Tomorrow, it may be Rome or Pisa, but today it is Florence. Thus, Lord states that it makes sense that Lucrezia represents the Florentine people, an idea also supported by others. It follows fittingly that if Lucrezia represents the Florentine populace, Nicia represents Piero Soderini.
...If we continue along with the same allegory, if Nicia is Soderini, then Ligurio is Machiavelli. Ligurio successfully makes his way into Nicia's house, mirroring Machiavelli's close personal and political friendship with Soderini. Despite this friendship, Machiavelli never quite puts his trust and loyalty in Soderini, much like how Ligurio never bestows his loyalty on Nicia. ...Lords also suggests that Timoteo represents Pope Julius II. He is described as having an abnormal interest in political and military matters, just as Timoteo has an abnormal interest in the outcome of the affairs of Lucrezia. ..If Timoteo is the Pope, then Lord suggests
that Sostrata is Francesco Soderini. She plays a minor role in the play, but plays along side Timoteo...
It then remains to be determined whom Callimaco might represent. Both Lord and Sumberg suggest that Callimaco represent the new prince. However, they disagree on who that new prince would be. Lord discounts the popular choice, Lorenzo de Medici, because if the play were in fact written in 1504, Lorenzo would have only been twelve. Another suggestion is Don Michele Coriglia, former lieutenant of Cesare Borgia, but also found unlikely. More plausible is Bernardo Rucellai, a Floentine aristocrat and opponent of Soderini.

The Significance of Lucrezia in Machiavelli's La Mandragola by Susan Behuniak-Long
The “fall” of Lucrezia in Machiavelli's play La Mandragola is a puzzlement. She is presented as an intelligent and virtuous wife who by play's end not only agrees to commit adultery but murder as well. Any attempt to interpret the play must address the significance of Lucrezia and her fall. It is argued here, however, that the real deception is that Lucrezia does not undergo a conversion—she is of questionable character from the start. Upon examination, her similarity with the Goddess Fortuna reveals a deeper tale being told within the play. Machiavelli uses her to mock the Church, and St. Augustine in particular, and to deliver a frightening message that the free will is no match for the goddess.
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...In the time of Machiavelli, the name Lucretia still stood as a symbol of fidelity and virtue. Yet this was not the only connotation of the name.
One cannot read The Prince without appreciating Machiavelli's admiration of and familiarity with the Borgia family. Both Cesare and Pope Alexander VI are frequently mentioned in Machiavelli's handbook for princes, but there was another infamous member of the family - Lucrezia Borgia, sister of Cesare and daughter of the pope. While she shared the name of the ancient Roman woman, her reputation was founded not on virtue, but on promiscuity, manipulation, and murder. She was said to have access to the Borgia venom, used to poison enemies of the family. This myth was probably based on a well-known fable of the "poisoner girl" who "had been nourished from her first years on the poisons of venomous serpents, and that, having grown up, she could poison and kill men in various ways, especially in the act of sexual union."10 While there is good reason to believe that Lucrezia Borgia's name was unjustly blackened due to this sort of myth and the actual deeds of her kinsmen, her name was one of ill-repute both during and after her lifetime.11.
That Machiavelli would choose the name Lucrezia, with all its conflicting connotations leads one to realize that this is not a simple character. Add to this issue over her first name, the fact that Lucrezia and her mother, Sostrata, lack a last name.12 Callimaco reveals early in the play that Sostrata "used to be good company" (1. 1). If she was of easy virtue, then who fathered Lucrezia? Is her father un- known? Machiavelli casts doubts but provides no answers. The more we learn of Lucrezia, the more puzzling she is. Lucrezia appears on stage for only four of the thirty-seven scenes of the play (3. 10; 3. 11; 5. 5; 5. 6)...

- и всё-таки интересна возможная связь героини Мандрагоры с образом Лукреции Борджиа - была ли последняя сестрой Цезаря и дочерью Папы и были ли "инцесты" с обоими или это слоистый персонаж, в лучшем случае?

текст Мандрагоры на англ. и итал.:
http://archive.org/details/TheMandragola
http://www-personal.usyd.edu.au/~nnew4107/Texts/Sixteenth-century_Florence_files/Mandragola_Translation.pdf