Orlando Furioso · Character

Mandricardo

A Tartar king so proud he swears off the war until he can strip the black-clad champion of Durindana, the sword he covets above victory itself.

supporting

Also known as The Tartar, King Mandricardo, Tartar Mandricardo

First appearance: canto i

As a supporting figure in Orlando Furioso, Mandricardo is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Son of Agrican, king of Tartary, envious of Orlando's deeds, sets out to find and challenge the black-clad knight.

In the storyCanto XIVOpen this moment free

See Mandricardo in Canto XIV Book page

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Mandricardo rides into the siege of Paris armed head to foot on a chestnut courser, having vowed to turn his back on the camp until he finds the knight in black. His pride is the engine: he treats the war as a personal errand, and his single-minded pursuit of another man's sword makes him a rival to every champion who owns one. In the early–middle cantos he embodies the poem's restless appetite for duels, and his oath keeps him circling the great Orlando long before they ever clash.

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The fuller portrait of Mandricardo sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Mandricardo in canto i

Character Web

40 connections

A slice of how Mandricardo sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Rivalry
Other

Character groups

Primary Christian and Saracen Knights
Protagonist
Allies and Antagonists of Orlando

+35 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak where Astolpho, usin…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Rogero
rivalry · negative
Mandricardo is a Saracen king who competes with Rogero for glory and the sword Durandal. How this plays out →
Rodomont
rivalry · negative
Rogero
rivalry · negative
Mandricardo is a Saracen king who competes with Rogero for glory and the sword Durandal. How this plays out →
Rogero
rivalry · negative
Mandricardo is a Saracen king who competes with Rogero for glory and the sword Durandal. How this plays out →
Rodomont
rivalry · negative
Rodomont
rivalry · negative

Rogero
Mandricardo is a Saracen king who competes with Rogero for glory and the sword Durandal.
Rodomont
Mandricardo and Rodomont are rival Saracen kings who compete for supremacy and honor.
Rogero
Mandricardo is a Saracen king who competes with Rogero for glory and the sword Durandal.
Rogero
Mandricardo is a Saracen king who competes with Rogero for glory and the sword Durandal.
Rodomont
Mandricardo and Rodomont are rival Saracen kings who compete for supremacy and honor.
Rodomont
Mandricardo and Rodomont are rival Saracen kings who compete for supremacy and honor.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Mandricardo in canto i

In the story

Mandricardo appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Canto XIV
Son of Agrican, king of Tartary, envious of Orlando's deeds, sets out to find and challenge the black-clad knight.
Canto XXIV
Tartar king; claims Durindana and wounds Zerbino in combat.
Canto XXVI
Challenges Marphisa to a joust, intending to give her to Rodomont in exchange for Doralice; quarrel with Rodomont is suspended.
Canto XXX
Slain by Rogero in the duel over the eagle emblem; his arms are given to Rogero.
Endnotes
Mentioned in the context of plighting troth before Doralice.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Mandricardo unlock in the free preview.

See Mandricardo in canto i

See Mandricardo in Canto XIV