Puttana's Name (Symbol)
Puttana's name is a symbol of female sexuality. Her name literally translates to "whore" in Italian, and as such her character is associated with what the male characters perceive as moral looseness related to sexuality. Indeed, Puttana is the only person in the play to fully endorse the incestuous relationship between Annabella and Giovanni, and she is in the end punished as cruelly as if she had been the one to take part in the incest herself.
Puttana's Punishment (Symbol)
When Vasquez discovers that Puttana knew about the relationship between Annabella and Giovanni all along, he orders the Banditti to gouge out her eyes. This gruesome punishment is also a symbolic one: Puttana's loss of eyesight symbolizes the fact that she looked on at Annabella and Giovanni's sin without turning them in.
Rings (Symbol)
Rings are symbols of love and commitment in the play. When Donado attempts to woo Annabella on Bergetto's behalf, he encloses in his letter a ring that he expects Annabella to accept. At the same time, Florio realizes that Annabella's own ring has gone missing – it was gifted to her by her late mother and therefore has sentimental value. Little does Florio know, Giovanni is now in possession of the ring because of his secret affair with his sister.
Daggers and Swords (Symbol)
Swords and daggers figure prominently in the play as symbols of masculinity, especially the connection between masculinity and violence. As swords were at the time frequently seen as a euphemism for the penis, the violence enacted with swords and daggers in the play is almost always a consequence of masculine competition and jealousy. Nowhere is this connection between sex and violence more prevalent than when Giovanni stabs Annabella during a passionate kiss, his sword replacing the penis in an act of "consummation."
The Golden Calf (Symbol)
Early in the play, Puttana warns Annabella that Donado is attempting to make Bergetto into a "golden calf" that will win Annabella's heart. This reference alludes the golden calf of the Bible, which was a false idol that people worshipped in place of God. The golden calf therefore symbolizes idolatry, which is a doomed path to follow. Bergetto is not the only "golden calf" in the play, either. Giovanni openly expresses the desire for his lust for Annabella to become an idol he can worship, while other characters make vengeance their golden calf by pursuing it above all else and to their own destruction.
