Self Agency and Sexuality in Don GiovanniDon Giovanni, composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, follows the efforts of a libertarian, sexual deviant, and elite member of society, Don Giovanni . From both the libretto and numerous interpretations of the text, it is clear that Don Giovanni has a clear disdain for the 'rules' of society, despite his high position in the feudal system in which he lives. His actions are seemingly driven by his personal whims, not influenced 'morally' by many social norms or other people's opinions; he has a "sense of agency", motivating his decisions solely based on his desires. Even when threatened to repent by a statue of the revived Commendatore (whom he had killed earlier in the play), he remained steadfast in believing and insisting that his actions were not wrong resulting in him being eternally damned to Hell. Even Donna Elvira, jilted lover and victim of Don Giovanni's sexual prowess, displays a sense of agency in her public retaliation against him. Elvira denounces him in densely populated streets, revealing his betrayal without regard to how the proclamation might negatively impact her own social status. However, we see her struggle with continued physical attraction to Don Giovanni, despite her understanding of his malice. How does a character's sense of autonomy or control over their decisions, especially when pushed by social factors to make those decisions differently, influence their role in the work? One scholar, Jonathan Miller, in Don Giovanni: Myths of Seduction and Betrayal offers the answer that Donna Elvira's sense of her own agency allows her to be Don Giovanni's only true, vital "antagonist". Her freedom from social norms, especially those relating to a woman and her sexuality, allows her to better understand her "adversary" and thus become a more suitable and "equal" antagonist. Miller also assumes, like many others, that Don John's agency and freedom from social norms allows him to move as freely as he wishes, and results in his sexual dominance. Miller contrasts Don Ottavio as “totally [dependent] on a social system,” completely stripping the character of any independence or agency (Miller 87). This response seems to identify the characters' roles well, but a closer reading of the libretto reveals that Don Giovanni doesn't actually have the sense of agency he thinks he might have, and the effects of social expectations on Giovanni are more profound than they are. aware. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Miller concludes in his text that the fundamental theme of Don Giovanni is "Don Giovanni against society" (Miller 86). Therefore, Miller believes that Don Giovanni operates with the understanding that his actions are not influenced by the way society is structured or social morals. Miller analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the other characters compared to the Don, and specifically references agency in Don Ottavio and Donna Elvira. He also talks about Zerlina and Masetto, but given their feudal peasant status, he concludes that any individual agency or social dependence is obligatory, and is not necessarily attributed to their character. However, he finds Ottavio dependent on a social system in all his actions constrained by its structure, and praises Elvira for moving fluidly without regard to social norms and principles. He attributes some of this praise towards Elvira to the simple fact that she “ran away from a convent in Burgos”. Donna Elvira's escape from the convent indicates that she does not wish to remain in the role that society, at the time,deemed socially appropriate for many women, and physically escapes that role and its context. For this reason, Miller defines Elvira as “the only character in the cast who could understand Don Giovanni, because, like him, she moves independently of the prevailing social rules and conventions… [Donna Elvira] is the main antagonist of Don Giovanni” (Miller 87). He also goes on to say that Don Ottavio, being so dependent on the social system: for example, being blind to Don Giovanni's murderous guilt due to his presumption that a man of high social stature would be incapable of such an act, has "practically it is dehumanized” (Miller 87). Thus, Miller's thesis appears to be that the more agency a character has and freedom from the social contract, the more he is able to compete with Don Giovanni, and the more "character" he is given in the Opera. Don Ottavio is a “slave of social conventions… without any human dimension,” and Donna Elvira is “the most interesting figure among Don Giovanni's adversaries” (Miller 87). Miller compares the action of all of Mozart's characters to that of Don Giovanni, which assumes Don Giovanni is the authoritative figure of the agency. While his interpretation offers interesting insights into the opera's characters, it is simultaneously incomplete in its analysis and takes too much for granted about Don Giovanni. First, Miller's interpretation ultimately recognizes that "Don Giovanni's aim is the gratification of power, to be achieved by destroying the strongest obstacle in his path: the laws of society... The Don's adversary does not it is a single person but a total social system, and the weakest link in this system is undoubtedly the relationship between the sexes” (Miller 86). Miller assumes that Don Giovanni, as a domineering sexual predator, is attacking the weakest link in society, the relationship between men and women. This assumption also implies that Don Giovanni does not follow any social rules in his conquests, making it the ultimate attack on society. However, observing how Don Giovanni approaches his conquests, it becomes clear that he is actually following some rules and social norms: “look, this not so small book is completely filled with the names of his beauties; every house, every village, every city has witnessed his exploits with the female gender” (Mozart 18). Although Leporello, Don Giovanni's servant, makes it clear that he was the one who made the list, it can be assumed that he would not do something as long and detailed as this without an order from his lord, Don Giovanni (this can also be inferred from the fact that Leporello is seen complaining about his position under Don Giovanni, and would most likely not do any additional work without being ordered to do so directly) (Mozart 1). So why does Don Giovanni keep a list of his sexual conquests? It would seem to be of no practical use (since she does not return to these lovers) other than to show other people, similar to a 'bragging right', or some sort of physical document to demonstrate her conquests. Why, then, would he prove it to people other than himself? Surely, if he just wanted intercourse, he would simply do it without recording it. Indeed, recording his sexual encounters appears to be a way of demonstrating his masculinity through sex, a way for men in many societies to demonstrate their masculinity, and therefore their worth, in that society. If his goal was actually to break social rules, he wouldn't waste his time with this list, as it would only enforce the implementation of another social norm. It is possible to conclude that Don Giovanni does not have the authority that Miller believes he has, and his decisions, at least regarding sex, are influenced by social norms.