Characters
Ribaldi/Rigoletto- Ribaldi is a deformed, mysterious man who comes to the town of Castle Gate and, supposedly, begins buying people's homes and land. It is later revealed that he is a kind, generous person who has suffered a mysterious injury. He is filled with self-pity and is often cold and angry, lashing out at those around him, but quickly repents. He is a gifted singer and composer, and it is hinted that he is the cursed fairy prince, Rigoletto.
Bonnie- Bonnie is a naive young girl who goes to work for Ribaldi in order to save her home. She quickly realizes that Ribaldi is not the monster everyone believes him to be, and tries to help him learn to be kinder and happier.
Hans- Ribaldi's butler, Hans, is a comical man with a French accent. In the beginning of the film he is seen at one of Bonnie's singing competitions, and it is assumed that he has been sent there by Ribaldi to spy on the singers. Ribaldi treats him cruelly, but Hans is devoted to his master and seems to genuinely care for him. He often plays the piano during Bonnie's music lessons.
Georgie- One of Bonnie's friends, Georgie is a poor girl from the village who suffers from a neglectful and abusive father. Ribaldi is especially kind to Georgie, and saves her life when she falls into a river that is known to be dangerous.
Porter- Georgie's brother, who speaks with stutter. While visiting Ribaldi he looks into a "magic" mirror and is suddenly cured of his speech impediment. Ribaldi teaches him that his father is a sad man who needs love and understanding during the hard times of the Great Depression. Because of Ribaldi, Porter is able to forgive his father, and the two are eventually reconciled.
Read more about this topic: Rigoletto (film)
Famous quotes containing the word characters:
“The naturalistic literature of this country has reached such a state that no family of characters is considered true to life which does not include at least two hypochondriacs, one sadist, and one old man who spills food down the front of his vest.”
—Robert Benchley (1889–1945)
“What makes literature interesting is that it does not survive its translation. The characters in a novel are made out of the sentences. That’s what their substance is.”
—Jonathan Miller (b. 1936)
“Philosophy is written in this grand book—I mean the universe—
which stands continually open to our gaze, but it cannot be understood unless one first learns to comprehend the language and interpret the characters in which it is written. It is written in the language of mathematics, and its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometrical figures, without which it is humanly impossible to understand a single word of it.”
—Galileo Galilei (1564–1642)