Norma – a Multifaceted Persona

This essay offers a detailed account of Bellini’s Norma, focusing specifically on the title character. It describes the different facets of Norma: a priestess leader, a daughter, a mother, a friend and a woman scorned by her lover. It discusses the irony in Norma's status, showing that in each of the five facets that constitute her personality there are two opposing states: the noble- authoritative state versus the fragile-wounded state. All Norma's arias are analyzed with a special emphasis on how Bellini fit the different arias and ensembles to match Norma’s complex character and how Bellini’s music constructs Norma’s dramatic persona.