Orlando Furioso · Chapters

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Chapter companions for Orlando Furioso by Ludovico Ariosto.

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Chapter 1
To Sir Walter Scott, of Abbotsford, Bart.
The poet dedicates the work to Sir Walter Scott, crediting him with encouraging the resumption of the poem after it had been abandoned. He compares his labor to that of a peasant tilling a field, finding sweetness in the work itself regardless of the reward.
Chapter 2
Orlando Furioso
The chapter introduces the epic tale of Orlando, a knight of Charlemagne, and the complex web of love, war, and magic that drives the narrative. It sets the stage for the conflicts between Christian and Saracen forces, the pursuit of Angelica, and the various adventures of knights like Rogero, Bradamant, and others.
Chapter 3
Canto I
Angelica flees through the forest to escape danger. Rinaldo loses his horse Bayardo and fights Ferraù. Ferraù breaks an oath but later swears a new one. King Sacripant encounters Angelica and laments his unrequited love. The chapter introduces the central conflict between Christian and Moorish armies, and sets up Orlando's madness and the love triangle between Orlando, Rinaldo, and Angelica.
Chapter 4
Canto II
Bradamant, seeking to free Rogero from Atlantes' enchanted castle, is guided by the treacherous Pinabel, who plots to abandon her. Meanwhile, Rinaldo and Sacripant duel over Angelica, who flees from Rinaldo. Bradamant encounters a grieving knight who recounts the abduction of his lady by a winged rider to a steel castle, and learns that Rogero and Gradasso have gone to challenge the sorcerer.
Chapter 5
Canto III
Bradamant, restored to sense in Merlin's cave, meets the sage Melissa who reveals the prophecy of her illustrious lineage and instructs her on how to rescue Rogero from Atlantes' enchanted castle. Melissa explains that Brunello possesses a magic ring that can nullify sorcery, and Bradamant must obtain it to free Rogero.

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To Sir Walter Scott, of Abbotsford, Bart.

Orlando Furioso

Canto I

Canto II

Canto III