The Enchantress Of Florence

Names and titles are an important motif in the novel. Throughout The Enchantress of Florence, characters switch between names and identities. Qara Koz is Angelica, as well as Lady Black Eyes and the eponymous enchantress. Each name presents a slightly different version of herself to the world. Similarly, Argalia leaves Florence with an Italian name, only to be renamed after being integrated into the Ottoman Empire and passing over cultural boundaries. He loses his attachment to his original name and identity; the new names, the new titles, and the new public persona blend together to create a whole new version of Argalia that seems unfamiliar to his old Italian friends. The numerous names symbolize the speed at which identities can change. The frequency with which names change is an indication of the elusive nature of truth and identity. No one truly knows Qara Koz and few people will ever understand what Argalia has experienced, but they can understand the way in which these changes manifest when someone adopts a new name or has one thrust upon them.

Titles are also an important symbol of power in the novel. The royal titles are the most explicit example of this:

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