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Don Carlo is an opera by Giuseppe Verdi, after the play Don Carlos by Friedrich von Schiller. The plot of both the play and the opera is very loosely based on the events surrounding the real Don Carlos, son of Philip II, King of Spain. Basically, it goes like this: Don Carlos, the Prince of Spain, was engaged to the French princess Elisabeth of Valois, but just as the two lovebirds meet and strike Love At First Sight, Carlos' father, King Philip, decides to take the girl for himself. There's also Don Carlos' best friend Rodrigo, Marquis of Posa, who tries to get Carlos to help the oppressed region of Flanders, there's the Princess of Eboli stalking Don Carlos, and many other characters with their own issues. Being an opera, it does not end well.
Don Carlo was originally composed for the Paris opera (as Don Carlos) and was translated into Italian later. Now, though, the Italian version is more common.
Tropes include:[]
- Anti-Villain: Arguably, King Philip
- Arranged Marriage: Elisabeth with Carlos. Takes an unexpected and tragic turn when Philip marries her instead.
- Awesome Moment of Crowning: for Philip. Carlos spoils it big time.
- Betty and Veronica: Elisabeth and Eboli
- BSOD Song:
- Io l'ho perduta (Carlos)
- Ella giammai m'amò (King Philip)
- Tu che la vanità (Elisabeth)
- O don fatale (Eboli). Verdi loved this trope.
- Childhood Friends: Carlos and Rodrigo are implied to be this.
- Costume Porn: In traditional productions.
- Crosscast Role: the page Thibault/Tebaldo
- Death Is Dramatic
- Death Song: O Carlo, ascolta... Io morrò
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: How Rodrigo dies in most productions.
- Deus Angst Machina: All over the place.
- Downer Ending
- Et Tu, Brute?: "Tu?... Rodrigo?..." Subverted: Rodrigo doesn't actually betray Carlos, he does what he does to save him.
- Eyepatch of Power: Eboli in some productions. Truth in Television: the real Ana de Mendoza, Princess of Eboli, did have an eyepatch, having lost an eye due to an accident.
- Femme Fatale: Eboli
- The Fundamentalist: the Grand Inquisitor
- Gorgeous Period Dresses: If the production isn't an avant-garde one.
- Green-Eyed Monster
- Heroic Sacrifice: Rodrigo
- King Incognito: the mysterious monk in the monastery of Saint-Just is Philip's father, King Carlos V.
- Love Triangle: Carlos-Philip-Elisabeth and Carlos-Eboli-Elisabeth.
- Martyr Without a Cause: Arguably, Rodrigo
- May-December Romance: May-December marriage, to be exact. Philip is much older than Elisabeth.
- The Messiah: Rodrigo
- My God, What Have I Done?: Philip, after Rodrigo is killed by the Inquisition.
- Offing the Offspring: What the Grand Inquisitor forces Philip to do.
- Opening Chorus
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Carlos will take masked Eboli for the Queen, even if the two ladies are nothing alike.
- Parental Issues
- Rebel Prince: Carlos tries to be this, but unsuccessfully.
- Sinister Minister: the Grand Inquisitor
- Star-Crossed Lovers
- The Spanish Inquisition
- Tenor Boy: Carlos
- The Unfavourite: Carlos
- The Woman Wearing the Queenly Mask: Elisabeth
- The Woobie: Carlos may be a poster image for this trope.
- Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Rodrigo
- Yandere: Eboli
- You're Not My Father: Carlos after Rodrigo is killed by Philip's tacit consent.