Orlando essays

Orlando essays Orlando, the bravest knight in Christian army, is in love with the beautiful Angelica the princess of Catai. The duke saves the girl and quarrels with his cousin Rinaldo because of her love. However, Angelica runs away from him wandering in the forest. From that moment on a lot of misadventures happen to her. She meets a lot of men who fall in love with her, but she can't feel any passion for them. The obsession for Angelica drives Orlando to neglect his duties, he withdraws when the Saracens lay the siege to Paris and he starts to wandering and following the clues, traces that she has left behind. He follows her but as soon he arrives in any of the places, he finds that she has already left. So the quest becomes more and more obsessive and desperate. Even if his lady is far from him he is able in any moment to perceive her being in danger, and he hears screaming and crying. Though the Duke Orlando is never able to reach her. The battles and quarrels, he fights with whoever he find on his way, becomes idle and vain efforts. After a long wandering Angelica finds a Muslim soldier, Medoro, who is dying. The lady eases his wounds saving the young man and at last she falls in love with this humble warrior. Now, they are in love and happy, Medoro writes about their mutual passion on trees and rocks. Angelica doesn't think of Orlando anymore. As soon as Orlando arrives in the place where the two loved each other, finding out that Medoro and Angelica have left together to start a new life, he goes totally mad. He destroys whatever or whoever he finds on his way. Astolfo, a true fellow of the duke, is the one who saves him. In fact the knight goes onto the moon in order to find the wisdom that Orlando has lost because of the mad and desperate love. It is a Mediaeval belief that when something gets lost on the earth, it goes on the moon and that's why Astolfo has to reach the moon to bring back to Orland o his wisdom. ...