The Duke of Brachiano (Paul Giordano Orsini) Timeline and Summary

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The Duke of Brachiano (Paul Giordano Orsini) Timeline and Summary

  • Brachiano schemes with Flamineo, hoping to seduce his sister, Vittoria. They arrange a late night rendezvous and Vittoria seems pretty agreeable.
  • Brachiano promises to protect her from her husband, Camillo, and Brachiano's wife, Isabella.
  • Francisco (Isabella's brother) and Brachiano argue about the seduction—they threaten to go to war against each other, but seem to calm down after awhile.
  • Brachiano cruelly tells Isabella he doesn't love her and wants a divorce.
  • He orders Isabella killed through poisoning (hiring an evil doctor/poison expert), and dispatches Flamineo to kill Camillo. With the aid of a conjurer, he's able to witness both of these acts.
  • He escapes conviction while Vittoria is sentenced to a "house of penitent whores."
  • After a momentary bout of jealousy (provoked by a fake love-letter sent from Francisco to Vittoria), the Duke rescues Vittoria from her place of imprisonment, and flees to Padua.
  • As they prepare to fight Florence (Francisco's forces), Brachiano hires a Moor named Mulinassar to fight with him (Mulinassar is just Francisco in disguise, however).
  • However, as they're enjoying some entertainment, Brachiano realizes his helmet's been poisoned. He loses his sanity.
  • Two visiting Capuchin monks attempt to give him the last rites—but it turns out that they're Francisco's henchmen, Lodovico and Gasparo. Lodovico strangles Brachiano, who tries to call for Vittoria before he dies.