The Golden Calf Symbol Analysis

In the Bible, the golden calf is an object of worship (or “false idol”) made by the Israelites—a statue of a cow cast from gold. Early in the play, Puttana warns Annabella that Donado intends to make his nephew Bergetto into a golden calf as he tries to win Annabella. Thus, in the context of the play, the golden calf comes to represent objects and ideas that the characters idolize or worship as they would a god. Donado assumes that Annabella desires marriage to a wealthy suitor above all else, but he’s incorrect—she’s in love with her brother, and doesn’t care about Bergetto at all. Other characters in the play make vengeance their “golden calf,” pursuing it with passion and holding it above all else, often in situations where temperance and self-restraint would perhaps be more appropriate ideals. Giovanni makes Annabella’s love into a kind of golden calf, idolizing her over God as he turns away from religion and toward a life that the church deems sinful. In keeping with the Biblical tale, however, these golden calves are merely false idols, and the play ultimately shows that they cannot take the place of virtue or morality.