You are on page 1of 9

Major characters:

Florante
Son of Duke Briseo and Princess Floresca; the main character of the SONG; Laura's love

Laura
Daughter of King Liceo; Florante's love

Aladin
A Muslim prince and soldier; son of Sultan Ali-Adab; the man who saved Florante; Flerida's love

Flerida
The woman who saved Laura; Aladin’s love

Count Adolfo
A traitor; son of Count Sileno; very envious of Florante's achievement

Menandro
Florante's classmate and faithful best friend; Florante’s right hand in the battle

Minor characters:
Duke Briseo
Father of Florante; Princess Floresca's husband; King Linceo’s adviser

Princess Floresca
Mother of Florante; wife of Duke Briseo, princess of Croton

King Linceo
King of Albania; father of Laura

Antenor
Florante's reliable mentor while he was studying in Athens, Greece

Count Sileno
Count Adolfo's father; also from Albania

General Miramolin
Headed the Persian troupes towards invading Albania
General Osmalic
A Persian general who wanted to invade Kroton

Sultan Ali-Adab
King of Persia; father of Aladin; who also desired Aladin’s love of his life, Flerida

Menalipo
Florante's cousin who saved him from a vulture that almost snatched him from his cradle

King of Croton kingdom


Princess Floresca’s father and the grandfather of Florante

--

The story begins with a description of a dark, dangerous, deserted


forest in the kingdom of Albania, that is inhabited by serpents,
basilisks, hyenas, and tigers.  Deep in the heart of the depressing
jungle where the tangled growth of vines and thickets intertwined,
and the great canopy of heavy foliaged trees formed a roof over
the dismal jungle clearing, the moans and anguished cries of a
forsaken man filled the savage stillness of the air.  The man is tied
to a tree and is barely alive.  He is Florante, the son of Duke
Briseo and Princess Floresca.  He has blonde hair, fair smooth
skin, and a face and body that is comparable to that of Narcissus
and Adonis.
Florante, while tied to a tree, questions the heavens for the
suffering of the people of Albania.  Here he describes the
treachery and suffering that are happening inside and outside of
the kingdom of Albania.  Gone are the days of peace and and
justice.  Innocent people have become victims of those who are
hungry for power and money. Those who fought to save the
kingdom have suffered grievously.   He mentions that Count
Adolfo was said to be behind the treachery with his plot to steal
the crown from King Linceo and the wealth of Duke Briseo.
Florante begs heaven to save the kingdom of Albania.
The man tells the heavens that he can take whatever trial or
challenge that may come his way as long as Laura will always
remember him.  Aside from all that is happening to Albania, he
takes refuge in the memories of the times he shared with Laura.
He mentions that he would be pleased to see Laura crying over
his dead body if Laura would betray him.  With this, he imagines
Laura in the arms of Count Adolfo. This thought brings him to
tears and devastation which made him tired and cause him to
pass out.
The man cries for Laura to save him, but she does not come.
With this, the man thinks that Count Adolfo has finally stolen
Laura from him. He mentions that he will thank Count Adolfo for
all the hardship as long as he doesn't take Laura from him.  With
too much to bear, the man cries in despair and faintes.
In another part of the forest comes Aladin, a Muslim soldier.  He
sits on a stump and professes his love for a woman named
Flerida.  He talks about his overwhelming love for Flerida and
vows to kill for the sake of love.  He says that no one can stand in
his way nor is there anyone who can take his love from him, not
even his father.  He also says that love can make a person blind
to the truth and make him forget about reason and honor.
After professing his love for Flerida, the Muslim soldier hears a
voice in the forest.  This voice talks about the brutal death of his
loving father.  The man talks about how his father was beheaded
and had his body thrown somewhere else.  No one attempted to
bury his father's remains for fear of Count Adolfo's wrath.   Even
without seeing his father, the man knew that the old man was
thinking of him until the end of his life.
While tied to a tree, Florante was approached by two lingering
lions.  But the lions did not seem to attack, thinking that the man
might already be dead.  Realizing the approach of death, the man
says his farewell to Albania, the land he wished to serve since he
was a child, and to Laura, whom he will forever love.
Upon hearing the man's cries, Aladin set off to find the man.  His
timing was impeccable because the lions were about to attack
Florante.  With a swift motion of his weapon, the Muslim soldier
killed the two lions.  With his courage and precision in combat, he
was compared to Ares, the god of war.

After rescuing Florante, Aladin frees him and lays him down.
Florante wakes up delirious looking for Laura.  The Muslim soldier
does not respond and Florante goes back to sleep.   When he
finally wakes up, Florante is surprised to see an enemy taking
care of him.  Aladin told him that he wishes the man no harm and
that the command of heaven to help is what's important.  The
man said that he did not want the soldier's pity, what he needs is
death.   Aladin yelled at him for speaking such nonsense.
Due to all that they have been through recently, Aladin and
Florante decide to become silent.  When nightfall comes, Aladin
carried Florante and rests on a flat rock.  The Muslim soldier feeds
Florante and has him sleep on his lap.  He watches over Florante
because he is still delirious and he is devastated every time the
latter wakes up.  In the morning, Florante thanks Aladin for what
he has done for him.  The soldier asked Florante why he was so
devastated, and the latter willingly narrated his story.
The man tells the Muslim soldier that his name is Florante.
Florante tells him that he came from Albania and that he is the
son of Duke Briseus, second in command of the kingdom, and
Princess Floresca of Croton.  He proudly talks about his father
saying what a brave and kind man he was.  He also emphasizes
that there is no one who can outdo his father in loving a child and
in teaching him good manners.  Florante also spoke of two
accounts when he almost died as a child.  One was when he was
almost caught by a vulture but was rescued by his cousin
Menalipo.  The other was when someone attempted to take the
diamond that was on his chest.
Florante spoke about his happy childhood.  When he was a child,
he loved playing outdoors and hunting. He realized that a child
must not be raised with too much freedom and security because
life is tougher when one grows older.  He also says that a child
will have difficulty in facing challenges if he is too pampered and
safe as a child.  Duke Briseus taught him how to stand alone by
sending him to Athens to study under Antenor.
Florante studies in Athens under Antenor.   He becomes homesick
and longs to be with his parents again but he is comforted by
Antenor.  Adolfo, a boy from Albania and the son of Duke Sileno,
becomes his classmate.  Adolfo is two years older than him and is
admired by everyone in school for his wisdom and kindness.  Due
to his intelligence, Florante was able to learn the lessons about
philosophy, astrology and mathematics in no time at all which
astonished his teachers.  He even surpassed Adolfo in all aspect
and became known all across Athens.  Everyone distrusted the
kindness that Adolfo is showing.  In a sporting competition,
Adolfo's true color began to show which aroused the people's
suspicions.
During a play performed by the students, Adolfo attempted to kill
Florante but did not succeed due to his classmate Menandro's
interference.  After two months, Florante received a letter from
his father bringing bad news and summoning him to come home.
It was difficult for Florante to say his goodbyes to his classmates
and his mentor, Antenor.  Before leaving, Antenor advised
Florante not to be too trusting because there are enemies all
around us.   Florante went home with his friend, Menandro. Upon
arriving at Albania, Florante cried when he saw his father.  After
he calmed down, Duke Briseus told Florante about the death of
Princess Floresca.
The emissary of Croton came to Albania with a letter asking for
help in saving Croton from the Persian invaders headed by
General Osmalic.  Florante pauses to praise Aladin, saying that the
general is only second to Aladin in combat skill.  With this, Aladin
smiles and says that rumors are not necessarily true. Returning to
his story, Florante said that he and his father went to King Linceus
to discuss how they could help Croton.  King Linceus appointed
Florante to lead the army that will help save Croton.
During their visit to King Linceus, Florante saw Laura, the
daughter of the king.  He was mermerized by Laura's beauty.  He
became speechless and stuttered a lot in the presence of Laura.
After talking about Laura, Florante's mind drifts toward horrible
thoughts about Laura's unfaithfulness.
Before setting off to war, King Linceus threw a feast for Florante.
The celebration lasted for three days and within this period, he
did not get to see Laura.  The day before he set of to war,
Florante saw Laura and he professed his love.  Laura did not give
him a straight answer, instead she cried and Florante took this as
a sign of Laura's reciprocation of his feelings.
General Osmalic and Florante finally meet and they battled for five
hours until Florante was able to defeat the general.
Florante was able to save Croton from the hands of the enemy
with the help of Menandro and his troupes.  The people rejoiced
their victory especially when they learned that Florante is the
king's grandson.  But Florante and the king did not rejoice with
them for they remembered Princess Floresca and mourned for her
death.  Five months had passed when Florante decided to return
to Albania to be with Laura again.  On his journey back, Florante
became weary when he saw the Muslim flag swaying in Albania.
Florante hid on the outskirts at the foot of the mountain to
observe what is happening.  He saw a woman tied and blindfolded
who is about to be beheaded.  He remembered Laura and hastily
went to rescue the woman.  He fought the Muslims and rescued
the woman who happened to be Laura herself.  Laura told
Florante about that Albania had been conquered.  They went back
and redeemed the country from the invaders.  Florante freed the
captives including King Linceus, Duke Briseus, and Count Adolfo.
The king honored Florante for his bravery and Florante won
Laura's affection.  With the victory of Florante, Adolfo's hatred and
envy deepened and he planned to take revenge against Florante.
A few months have passed since Albania was last invaded when
the Persian army, headed by Miramolin disturbed its peace.  But
the Turkish invaders did not succeed because Florante had
defeated him.  After this, Florante successfully won many battles
which earned him the respect of thirteen kings.  One day, while
Florante was in the middle of a war, he received a letter ordering
him to return immediately to Albania.  He left the war under the
command of Menandro and set off to return to Albania.  Upon
arriving, he was surprised to be welcomed by 30,000 soldiers who
abducted him.  Here he learned that Adolfo had ordered for his
father, Duke Briseus, and King Linceus to be beheaded.  He also
learned that Laura was engaged to Count Adolfo.  Florante was
imprisoned for 18 days then was transferred to the forest where
he was tied to an Acacia tree.  He had been in the forest for two
days when the Muslim soldier found and rescued him.
After Florante narrated his story, the Muslim soldier introduces
himself as Aladdin, son of Sultan Ali-Adab of Persia.  Aladdin tells
Florante that he will tell his own story in due time because he
needs some time to collect himself.

After wandering around the forest for five months, Aladin begins
to narrate his story.  He says that his father is the root of all his
suffering.  His father became his rival for his love, Flerida.  In
order to succeed, Sultan Ali-Adab plotted a scheme to behead
Aladin by framing him as the cause of the downfall of the Persian
invaders that resulted to Florante's victory in Albania.  On the
night before Aladin's execution, Sultan Ali-Adab forgave Aladin on
the condition that he would flee Persia and never return.  Aladin
agreed but could not accept the idea of Flerida in the arms of
another man.  Since then, Aladin has been a wanderer of the
forest for six years.  He suddenly stops his story when they heard
voices in the forest.
The two men heard voices.  One of the women narrated the story
she heard about the danger that her lover was in.  She begged
the Sultan not to push through with his beheading in exchange for
her agreement to marry him.  The Sultan agreed and her lover
was set free, leaving without saying goodbye.  One night, while
everyone was busy with the wedding preparations, the woman
who happens to be Flerida, disguised herself as a soldier and
escaped.  She wandered the forest hoping to find her love. Here
in the forest is where the two women met when Flerida saved
Laura who was about to be assaulted by a man.  They stop
talking when they hear footsteps approaching and were surprised
to see Florante and Aladdin.
Laura narrates her story.  It began when Florante left to battle the
Persian invaders.  Adolfo ordered that the king and his loyal
servants be beheaded.  Adolfo took over the throne and forced
Laura to marry him.  It took five months for him to court Laura
but she did not waver in her decision not to marry him. After
Florante was sent to die in the forest, Menandro and his men
returned to Albania and overthrew Adolfo from the throne.  Adolfo
would not accept defeat; instead he took Laura and his men to
the forest.  Here Adolfo saw no escape and decided to rape Laura
right there.  Upon hearing a woman's cry for help, Flerida came to
the rescue and killed Adolfo with an arrow.
Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Menandro and
his troupe.  Upon seeing Florante, he rejoices to see his friend.
The two couples return to Albania where they are warmly
welcomed.  Flerida and Aladdin agree to be baptized as Christians.
Both couples are wed and Florante and Laura rule over Albania
with justice, peace, and harmony.  When Sultan Ali-Adab dies,
Aladdin and Flerida return to Persia and they rule over the people
happily.

You might also like