Laura Chung

Professor Straley
Statistics
April 24, 2010
EXTRA CREDIT

Extra Credit: Attend Math Play

Extra-Extra Credit: Write 1 page paper about the play

This play put together by three students reenacted the life of Maria Gaetana Agnesi. The

play begins with Maria Gaetana Agnesi’s birth in Milan, 1718. The play was dictated by one of

Maria’s brothers whom all admired their older sister for her intelligence and attention she had

received from their father. According to the play, Maria Agnesi was born as a prodigy child,

gifted in many areas. Throughout her childhood, she was educated in many areas to stabilize and

enhance her natural intellect. Her father was a great supporter of Maria’s education and pushed

her to her best abilities. Unfortunately, Maria wished to enter a convent and become a nun,

which was what most of the women in Europe did at the time, her father refused. Instead, he let

her live life resembling the life that of a nun; the only difference was Maria’s devotion to

mathematics instead of a religious deity.

As a result, Maria grew into a very well-educated woman of her age, knowledgeable and

successful in mathematics. Her success led to the “Witch of Agnesi,” a commentary on the curve

known as the “witch of Agnesi” or “versiera” as she named. The name derives from the Italian

for the rope that turns a sail, taken from the Latin vertere, versus meaning “to turn.” A translator

had mistranslated Maria’s curve and mistook “versiera” as “l’avversiera,” which means ‘she-

witch.’ Maria’s special math intellect had made her into the one of the world’s first professor; on

top of that, she was a woman. During those times, women did not have the privilege to have such

an opportunity—to learn. This fun, informative, dramatic play successfully and directly

portrayed the life of Maria Gaetna Agnesi in her honor and praise of being a great role model for

all women within the field of mathematics.