The story in one page
As King Charlemagne defends Paris against the Saracen forces of King Agramante, his most powerful knight, Orlando, abandons his post to pursue the beautiful Angelica. When he discovers she has married a lowly infantryman, he loses his sanity and embarks on a destructive rampage across the continent. Parallel to this, the Christian warrior Bradamante searches for the pagan Rogero, whose destiny is to marry her and found the House of Este. Their union is constantly delayed by the wizard Atlantes, a flying island, and a series of magical enchantments that send the cast from the depths of hell to the surface of the moon.
Who's who
- Orlando
A Christian paladin who descends into naked, violent madness over love.
- Angelica
A princess from Cathay who eludes every knight in Europe.
- Rogero
A noble Saracen knight destined to convert and marry Bradamante.
- Bradamante
A fierce female knight searching for her lover Rogero.
- Astolpho
An English duke who travels to the moon on a hippogriff.
- Rodomont
The ferocious King of Sarzia and the ultimate Saracen antagonist.
What it's really about
- The Folly of Desire
- Love consistently drives the greatest heroes to complete irrationality.
- Dynastic Destiny
- The union of Rogero and Bradamante is portrayed as inevitable.
Why it's memorable
- Orlando uprooting entire trees and slaughtering cattle with his bare hands in a frenzy.
- Astolpho riding the hippogriff through the valley of lost things on the moon.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
After Rogero finally converts to Christianity to marry Bradamante, the embittered King Rodomont interrupts their wedding feast for a final duel. Rogero eventually pins the giant to the ground and stabs him to death, sending his proud, blaspheming soul to the underworld.
For your book club
- The way Ariosto uses magic to satirize the serious nature of traditional knightly chivalry.
- Whether Orlando’s madness is a tragedy or a comic warning about obsessive love.