Angelica (character)

Ruggiero Rescuing Angelica by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

Angelica is a princess in the epic poem Orlando innamorato by Matteo Maria Boiardo. She reappears in the saga's continuation, Orlando furioso by Ludovico Ariosto, and in various later works based on the two original Orlando pieces.[1] The narratives are part of the Matter of France, a cycle of legendary history stories based on the adventures of Charlemagne and his paladins.

Orlando Innamorato

In Orlando Innamorato, Angelica is introduced as the daughter of Galafrone, the king of "Cathay", or "India".[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] She comes to Charlemagne's court with her brother Argalia (who assumes the identity of a knight named Uberto dal Leòne).[4] All the knights are smitten with her, especially the cousins Orlando (Roland) and Rinaldo (Renaud), but the protective Argalia will only allow her to marry a man who can best him in a joust. When Argalia eventually falls to the Saracen knight Ferraù, Orlando and Rinaldo threaten to destroy each other over her. As the Saracens lay siege to Duke Naimon's estate, Charlemagne promises Angelica's hand to whichever cousin fights best for him. The battle is lost, however, and the characters go on to further adventure: Rinaldo and Angelica drink from magic fountains twice, each time leaving one madly in love and the other indifferent, while Orlando loses his wits to his passion.

Orlando Furioso

Boiardo left his epic unfinished, but the action was taken up in Orlando furioso. Angelica is continually sought throughout the world by Orlando, Rinaldo, and the best knights from various countries. She eventually finds herself naked and chained to a rock in the sea, offered as a sacrifice to a sea monster (a situation identical to the perils of Andromeda). She is rescued by the African knight Ruggiero, who gives her a ring of invisibility. Later, pursued by the maddened Orlando, she uses the ring and vanishes. She ultimately falls in love with an ordinary Moor soldier Medoro and returns with him to Cathay; the lovesick Orlando requires the aid of his cousin Astolpho to recover his senses.

Explanatory notes

  1. ↑ Cathay commonly refers to China not India. But this seeming inconsistency can be resolved. Boiardo considered Cathay to be a city, and "Cathay was a city in India inferior or Serica" according to the Mappamondo Borgiano.[2]
  2. ↑ Galafrone's realm is vast, with Cathay as its capital city. Albraca a fortress, a day's journey west.[3]

References

Citations
  1. ↑ "Angelica". britannica.com. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  2. ↑ Ross 2004, pp. 603–4 (notes on "Cathay"); citing Ponte, Givovanni (1972), La personalità e l'opera del Boiardo, p. 89
  3. ↑ Cavallo 2013, p. 47, p. 49 and notes 15, 16 (on p. 283).
  4. ↑ Ross 2004 (tr.), Orlando in Love, I.i. and p. 671. note to I.i.25.
Bibliography
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.