the
principal character in an opera of the same name, written by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) and first performed in
Italy in 1851. The story is one of deceptive
affairs, intrigue and treachery, and
ends in tragedy. Rigoletto, the hunchback, whose name means
clown or ridiculous one, is the
court jester of a philandering Duke. At the beginning of the opera, Rigoletto is cursed by the
character Monterone for making fun of his distress after his daughter has been ravished by the Duke. Rigoletto's
scheme to protect his own daughter from the amorous advances of the Duke backfires, however, and despite Rigoletto's
efforts, his daughter
ends up
falling in
love with the Duke. After being kidnapped and seduced by the Duke she sacrifices her own
life to save him from her father's hired
assassins. The
final tragedy of the opera is revealed when Rigoletto discovers that the
sack he is carrying to
throw into the river doesn't contain the corpse of his bitter
enemy, the Duke, but instead, that of his beloved child. Monterone's curse is thus fulfilled.