Florante at Laura

Florante at Laura (or Florante and Laura) is a masterpiece of Francisco Baltazar

(also known as Balagtas). It is one of the most influential Philippine poems ever
written. The title “Florante at Laura” is an abbreviation of the poem's actual title
which is Pinagdaanang Buhay Nina Florante at Laura sa Kahariang Albanya: Kinuha
sa Madlang Cuadro historico o pinturang nagsasabi sa mga nangyari nang unang
panahon sa imperyo ng Gresya, at tinula ng isang matuwain sa bersong Tagalog.
(The Life Story of Florante and Laura in the Kingdom of Albania: Culled from
historical accounts and paintings which describe what happened in ancient Greece,
and written by one who enjoys Tagalog verse.)
Florante at Laura was said to be a result of the heartache that Baltazar received
after losing the woman that he loved the most, Maria Asuncion Rivera, to a rich and
powerful man named Mariano Capule.. Rivera was said to be the woman to whom
Baltazar referred to as “Celia” and MAR in his poem. Florante at Laura was also
written as a depiction of the country's situation during the rule of the Spaniards. The
poem shows that religious difference should not be used to discriminate against one
another.
Florante and Laura is considered an “Awit” or “a song” in English. It has 399 stanzas
and is written in poetic form with the following characteristics:
There are 4 lines per stanza;
There are 12 syllables per line;
It has an AAAA rhyme scheme;
It has a slight pause on the sixth syllable;
Each stanza is usually a complete grammatically-correct sentence;
Each stanza is full of figures of speech

Characters
1. Florante – son of Duke Briseus and Princess Floresca; Laura's love

2. Laura – daughter of King Liceus; Florante's love

3. Aladdin – a Muslim soldier; son of Sultan Ali-Adab; Flerida's love

4. Flerida – Aladdin's love; the woman who saved Laura

5. Count Adolfo – a traitor; son of Count Sileno; Florante's arch-enemy

6. Duke Briseus – father of Florante; Princess Floresca's husband

7. Princess Floresca – mother of Florante; wife of Duke Briseus, princess of

Croton
8. King Linceus – king of Albania; father of Laura

9. Antenor – Florante's mentor while he was studying in Athens, Greece

 10. Count Sileno – Count Adolfo's father

11. Minandro – Florante's classmate and best friend

12. Menalipo – Florante's cousin

13. Sultan Ali-Adab – father of Aladdin; king of Persia

14. General Osmalick – a Persian general who wanted to invade Croton

15. Miramolin – headed the Persian troupes towards invading Albania

Plot
The following is a summary of the poem in chapter form:

Chapter 1 - 13 Chapter 14 - 23

* 1 - “Prologue” (Stanza 1 – 10) * 14 - “Two Tragedies” (Stanza 224 – 257)

The story begins with a description of a
dark, dangerous, deserted forest that is
inhabited by serpents, basilisks, hyenas,
and tigers. The forest is filled with huge
acacia tress with large leaves that covers
the sun. In the middle of the forest, tied to a
tree, is a man who is barely alive. He has
blonde hair, fair smooth skin, and a face
and body that are comparable to that of
Narcissus and Adonis.
* 2 - “Suffering Kingdom” (Stanza 11 -
25)
The man tied to the tree questions the
heavens for the suffering of the people of
Albania. Here he describes the treachery
and suffering that are happening inside and
outside of the kingdom of Albania. Gone
are the days of peace and and justice.
Innocent people have become victims of
those who are hungry for power and
money. Those who fought to save the
kingdom have suffered grievously. The man
mentions that Count Adolfo was said to be
behind the treachery with his plot to steal
the crown from King Linceus and the
wealth of Duke Briseus. The man begs
heaven to save the kingdom of Albania.
* 3 - “A Lover's Woe” (Stanza 26 - 40)
The man tells the heavens that he can take
whatever trial or challenge that may come
his way as long as Laura will always
remember him. Aside from all that is
happening to Albania, he takes refuge in
the memories of the times he shared with
Laura. He mentions that he would be
pleased to see Laura crying over his dead
During a play performed by the students,
Adolfo attempted to kill Florante but did not
succeed due to his classmate Minandro's
interference. After two months, Florante
received a letter from his father bringing
bad news and summoning him to come
home. It was difficult for Florante to say his
goodbyes to his classmates and his
mentor, Antenor. Before leaving, Antenor
advised Florante not to be too trusting
because there are enemies all around us.
Florante went home with his friend,
Minandro. Upon arriving at Albania,
Florante cried when he saw his father. After
he calmed down, Duke Briseus told
Florante about the death of Princess
Floresca.
* 15 - “Saving Croton” (Stanza 258 – 273)
The emissary of Croton came to Albania
with a letter asking for help in saving
Croton from the Persian invaders headed
by General Osmalick. Florante pauses to
praise the Muslim soldier, saying that the
general is only second to the soldier in
combat skill. With this, the Muslim soldier
smiles and says that rumors are not
necessarily true. Returning to his story,
Florante said that he and his father went to
King Linceus to discuss how they could
help Croton. King Linceus appointed
Florante to lead the army that will help save
Croton.
* 16 - “Laura, the Goddess” (Stanza 274 -
289)
During their visit to King Linceus, Florante
saw Laura, the daughter of the king. He
body if Laura would betray him. With this,
he imagines Laura in the arms of Count
Adolfo. This thought brings him to tears and
devastation which makes him tired and
cause him to pass out.
* 4 - “The Memory of Laura” (Stanza 41 -
68)
The man cries for Laura to save him, but
she does not come. With this, the man
thinks that Count Adolfo has finally stolen
Laura from him. He mentions that he will
thank Count Adolfo for all the hardship as
long as he doesn't take Laura from him.
With too much to bear, the man cries in
despair and faintes.
* 5 - “Overwhelming Love” (Stanza 69 –
83)
In another part of the forest comes a
Muslim soldier. He sits on a stump and
professes his love for a woman named
Flerida. He talks about his overwhelming
love for Flerida and vows to kill for the sake
of love. He does not say that no one can
stand in his way nor is there anyone who
can take his love from him, not even his
father. He also says that love can make a
person blind to the truth and make him
forget about reason and honor.
* 6 - “A Loving and Hopeful Father”
(Stanza 84 – 104)
After professing his love for Flerida, the
Muslim soldier hears a voice in the forest.
This voice talks about the brutal death of
his loving father. The man talks about how
his father was beheaded and had his body
thrown somewhere else. No one attempted
to bury his father's remains for fear of
Count Adolfo's wrath. Even without seeing
his father, the man knew that the old man
was thinking of him until the end of his life.
* 7 - “Farewell Albania! Farewell Laura!”
(Stanza 105 – 125)
While tied to a tree, the man was
approached by two lingering lions. But the
lions did not seem to attack, thinking that
the man might already be dead. Realizing
the approach of death, the man says his
farewell to Albania, the land he wished to
serve since he was a child, and to Laura,
whom he will forever love.
* 8 - “Aladdin... the Rescuer” (Stanza 126
– 135)
Upon hearing the man's cries, the Muslim
soldier set off to find the man. His timing
was impeccable because the lions were
about to attack the man. With a swift
motion of his weapon, the Muslim soldier
killed the two lions. With his courage and
was mermerized by Laura's beauty. He
became speechless and stuttered a lot in
the presence of Laura. After talking about
Laura, Florante's mind drifts toward horrible
thoughts about Laura's unfaithfulness.
* 17 - “Preparing for War” (Stanza 290 -
304)
Before setting off to war, King Linceus
threw a feast for Florante. The celebration
lasted for three days and within this period;
he did not get to see Laura. The day before
he set of to war, Florante saw Laura and he
professed his love. Laura did not give him a
straight answer, instead she cried and
Florante took this as a sign of Laura's
reciprocation of his feelings.
General Osmalick and Florante finally meet
and they battled for five hours until Florante
was able to defeat the general.
* 18 - “First Battle” (Stanza 305 - 316)
Florante was able to save Croton from the
hands of the enemy with the help of
Minandro and his troupes. The people
rejoiced their victory especially when they
learned that Florante is the king's
grandson. But Florante and the king did not
rejoice with them for they remembered
Princess Floresca and mourned for her
death. Five months had passed when
Florante decided to return to Albania to be
with Laura again. On his journey back,
Florante became weary when he saw the
Muslim flag swaying in Albania.
* 19 - “Saving Albania” (Stanza 317 - 328
Florante hid on the outskirts at the foot of
the mountain to observe what is happening.
He saw a woman tied and blindfolded who
is about to be beheaded. He remembered
Laura and hastily went to rescue the
woman. He fought the Muslims and
rescued the woman who happened to be
Laura herself. Laura told Florante about
that Albania had been conquered. They
went back and redeemed the country from
the invaders. Florante freed the captives
including King Linceus, Duke Briseus, and
Count Adolfo. The king honored Florante
for his bravery and Florante won Laura's
affection. With the victory of Florante,
Adolfo's hatred and envy deepened and he
planned to take revenge against Florante.
* 20 - “Adolfo's Treachery” (Stanza 329 –
346)
A few months have passed since Albania
was last invaded when the Persian armada,
headed by Miramolin disturbed its peace.
But the Turkish invaders did not succeed
because Florante had defeated him. After
precision in combat, he was compared to
Ares, the god of war.
* 9 - “Heaven's Command” (Stanza 136 -
155
After rescuing the man, the Muslim soldier
frees him and lays him down. He caresses
the man with care and admires the man's
physique. The man wakes up delirious
looking for Laura. The Muslim soldier does
not respond and the man goes back to
sleep. When the man finally wakes up, he
is surprised to see an enemy taking care of
him. The Muslim soldier told him that he
wishes the man no harm and that the
command of heaven to help is what's
important. The man said that he did not
want the soldier's pity, what he needs is
death. The yelled at him for speaking such
nonsense.
* 10 - “A Helping Hand” (Stanza 156 -
171)
Due to all that they have been through
recently, the Muslim soldier and the man
decide to become silent. When nightfall
comes, the soldier carried the man and
rests on a flat rock. The Muslim soldier
feeds the man and has him sleep on his
lap. He watches over the man because he
is still delirious and he is devastated every
time the latter wakes up. In the morning,
the man thanks the soldier for what he has
done for him. The soldier asked the man
why he was so devastated, and the latter
willingly narrated his story.
* 11 - “Only Child” (Stanza 172 – 187)
The man tells the Muslim soldier that his
name is Florante. Florante tells him that he
came from Albania and that he is the son of
Duke Briseus, second in command of the
kingdom, and Princess Floresca of Croton.
He proudly talks about his father saying
what a brave and kind man he was. He
also emphasizes that there is no one who
can outdo his father in loving a child and in
teaching him good manners. Florante also
spoke of two accounts when he almost died
as a child. One was when he was almost
caught by a vulture but was rescued by his
cousin Menalipo. The other was when
someone attempted to take the diamond
that was on his chest.
* 12 - “Raising a Child Right” (Stanza
188 – 205
Florante spoke about his happy childhood.
When he was a child, he loved playing
outdoors and hunting. He realized that a
child must not be raised with too much
freedom and security because life is
this, Florante successfully won many
battles which earned him the respect of
thirteen kings. One day, while Florante was
in the middle of a war, he received a letter
ordering him to return immediately to
Albania. He left the war under the
command of Minandro and set off to return
to Albania. Upon arriving, he was surprised
to be welcomed by 30,000 soldiers who
abducted him. Here he learned that Adolfo
had ordered for his father, Duke Briseus,
and King Linceus to be beheaded. He also
learned that Laura was engaged to Count
Adolfo. Florante was imprisoned for 18
days then was transferred to the forest
where he was tied to an acacia tree. He
had been in the forest for two days when
the Muslim soldier found and rescued him.
* 21 - “Setting Free” (Stanza 347 - 360)
After Florante narrated his story; the
Muslim soldier introduces himself as
Aladdin, son of Sultan Ali-Adab of Persia.
Aladdin tells Florante that he will tell his
own story in due time because he needs
some time to collect himself.
After wandering around the forest for five
months, Aladdin begins to narrate his story.
He says that his father is the root of all his
suffering. His father became his rival for his
love, Flerida. In order to succeed, Sultan
Ali-Adab plotted a scheme to behead
Aladdin by framing him as the cause of the
downfall of the Persian invaders that
resulted to Florante's victory in Albania. On
the night before Aladdin's execution, Sultan
Ali-Adab forgave Aladdin on the condition
that he would flee Persia and never return.
Aladdin agreed but could not accept the
idea of Flerida in the arms of another man.
Since then, Aladdin has been a wanderer of
the forest for six years. He suddenly stops
his story when they heard voices in the
forest.
* 22 - “Greatest Love” (Stanza 361 - 372)
The two men heard voices. One of the
women narrated the story she heard about
the danger that her lover was in. she
begged the Sultan not to push through with
his beheading in exchange for her
agreement to marry him. The Sultan
agreed and her lover was set free, leaving
without saying goodbye. One night, while
everyone was busy with the wedding
preparations, the woman who happens to
be Flerida, disguised herself as a soldier
and escaped. She wandered the forest
hoping to find her love. Here in the forest is
where the two women met when Flerida
tougher when one grows older. He also
says that a child will have difficulty in facing
challenges if he is too pampered and safe
as a child. Duke Briseus taught him how to
stand alone by sending him to Athens to
study under Antenor.
* 13 - “Pretension” (Stanza 206 - 223)
Florante studies in Athens under Antenor.
He becomes homesick and longs to be with
his parents again but he is comforted by
Antenor. Adolfo, a boy from Albania and the
son of Duke Sileno, becomes his
classmate. Adolfo is two years older than
him and is admired by everyone in school
for his wisdom and kindness. Due to his
intelligence, Florante was able to learn the
lessons about philosophy, astrology and
mathematics in no time at all which
astonished his teachers. He even
surpassed Adolfo in all aspect and became
known all across Athens. Everyone
distrusted the kindness that Adolfo is
showing. In a sporting competition, Adolfo's
true color began to show which aroused the
people's suspicions.
saved Laura who was about to be
assaulted by a man. They stop talking
when they hear footsteps approaching and
were surprised to see Florante and Aladdin.
* 23 - “Victory and Happiness” (Stanza
373 - 399)
Laura narrates her story. It began when
Florante left to battle the Persian invaders.
Adolfo ordered that the king and his loyal
servants be beheaded. Adolfo took over the
throne and forced Laura to marry him. It
took five months for him to court Laura but
she did not waver in her decision not to
marry him. After Florante was sent to die in
the forest, Minandro and his men returned
to Albania and overthrew Adolfo from the
throne. Adolfo would not accept defeat;
instead he took Laura and his men to the
forest. Here Adolfo saw no escape and
decided to rape Laura right there. Upon
hearing a woman's cry for help, Flerida
came to the rescue and killed Adolfo with
an arrow.
Their conversation is interrupted by the
arrival of Menander and his troupe. Upon
seeing Florante, he rejoices to see his
friend.
The two couples return to Albania where
they are warmly welcomed. Flerida and
Aladdin agree to be baptized as Christians.
Both couples are wed and Florante and
Laura rule over Albania with justice, peace,
and harmony. When Sultan Ali-Adab dies,
Aladdin and Flerida return to Persia and
they rule over the people happily.