FEDELE AND FORTUNIO
(TWO ITALIAN GENTLEMEN) (a translation of Pasqualigo's Il Fedele)
1579–1584
a synoptic, alphabetical character list
ATTILIA
Attilia is the maid to Victoria. Brings Medusa with love potion to aid in making Fortunio fall in love with Victoria. Later, she develops a plan to disguise Crackstone as Fortunio and arranges to sneak him into Victoria's house so he can have his way with her in order to revenge her denial of his love in favor of Fortunio. The plan fails to materialize, however, when they are caught by the Captain of the Watch.
CAPTAIN CRACKSTONE
Having purchased the clothing of a slain captain, he agrees to help Fortunio capture the heart of Victoria, who he believes is still in love with Fedele. After overhearing Pedante's plans to gain access to Victoria for Fedele, he decides to disguise himself as Pedante in order to gain access for himself. After Pedante and Fedele unexpectedly enter, he hides himself inside a tomb in a neighboring temple; the temple, unbeknownst to him, is being used by Attilia, Victoria and Medusa to conjure Fortunio's love. After Pedante interrupts the service, he discovers the portrait of Fortunio used in the service, and decides to use it to anger Fedele and Fortunio, leaving Victoria for himself. Later he claims that Victoria has asked him to kill Fedele, a charge she denies and in so doing publicly humiliates Crackstone, who vows revenge on her. He attempts to test his valor against Fedele, who defeats and further humiliates him. He ends the play by unexpectantly agreeing to marry Attilia.
FEDELE
Like his old friend Fortunio, loves Victoria, and plans to gain access to her home with the help of Pedante, who is feigning love for her servant Attilia. Before doing so, however, he discovers a letter revealing Victoria's love for Fortunio. He challenges Fortunio to a fight, but before being able to act on it he spies the disguised Pedante leaving her home. He fights and defeats Crackstone, capturing him in a net and publicly humiliating him by parading him in front of Victoria. After discovering that Fortunio has "had" Virginia, he agrees to marry Victoria.
FORTUNIO
In love with Victoria. After seeing a disguised Pedante leaving her home late at night, he falls for the plot laid by Pedante and assumes she is having an affair with someone else. After realizing that Victoria loves Fedele, he decides to marry Virginia in order to avoid being left alone and humiliated and enters into a plot devised by Medusa to help him steal her body and affections.
MEDUSA
Brings a box with magic potion to Victoria in the hopes of forcing Fortunio into Victoria's arms. After being interrupted by Pedante, she throws her ceremonial candles into the tomb which hides Crackstone, who emerges and frightens them away. Later agrees to help Fortunio marry Virginia by switching him for Fedele, whom Virginia has made arrangements to meet with that night. The plan involves Fortunio having his way with the unsuspecting Virginia, and then tricking Virginia's father into discovering them and forcing them to marry. The plan works and after Fortunio and Virginia agree to marry, she admits her role in the plot.
OTTAVIANO
Father to Virginia. As planned by Attilia, he finds Fortunio with his daughter, attacks him and forces them to marry.
PAMPHILA
Maid to Virginia. Informs Virginia that Fedele now loves Victoria.
PEDANTE
Tutor to Fedele. In order to help Fedele gain access to Victoria, he pretends to be in love with her servant, Attilia. Attilia agrees to meet Pedante, but when he returns with Fedele later that night, he finds Attilia, Victoria and Medusa ceremonially attempting to conjure Fortunio's love. Later, disguised as a beggar, he gains entrance into Victoria's house and leaves late in the night, after arranging to have Fedele and Fortunio witness his exit in the hopes Fortunio will become so jealous he will abandon his claim to Victoria. However, at her house he runs into Crackstone, who tells him that Victoria has asked him to kill Fedele. Pedante tells Fedele of the plot, and Fedele later fights Crackstone and captures him in a net. In the concluding moments of the play Pedante gives up his claim to Attilia and forces her to marry Crackstone.
SBIRRI
Captain of the watch. Along with his watchmen, captures Attilia and Crackstone and reveals their plan against Victoria.
SOLDIERS
Mute characters.
VICTORIA
In love with Fortunio, although once in love with Fedele. Along with Medusa and Attilia, all disguised as nuns, enters the temple in order to conjure Fortunio's love. After the failure of the spell, she calls for Fortunio so she can declare her love for him. In the meantime, she tells Fedele that she never really stopped loving him, but is now very confused. In the hopes of gaining advice, she sends for Crackstone, who later claims that she hired him to kill Fedele, a charge she denies. Once she learns that Fortunio has agreed to marry Virginia, she agrees to marry Fedele.
VIRGINIA
In love with Fedele. She sends for Fedele, who tells her that now he loves her like a sister, but truly loves Victoria. She sends for Medusa for help in gaining the love of Fedele, but before she can gain his love, she is forced, by the plotting of Attilia, to marry Fortunio.
WATCHMEN
Help in the apprehension of Crackstone and Attilia at the close of the play, revealing their plans.