Orlando Furioso, Canto 3 summary
Canto 3 of 46 · 20 min to read the canto
In Canto 3, Bradamante survives Pinabello’s betrayal, enters Merlin’s tomb, and hears prophecies about her marriage to Ruggiero and their distinguished descendants. An unnamed enchantress then explains how to overcome Ruggiero’s captor with Brunello’s ring, and Bradamante reaches an inn where she meets the thief while concealing her identity.
What happens
- Pinabello leaves with Bradamante’s horse, believing her dead, while she enters a sacred chamber beneath the ground.
- An enchantress welcomes Bradamante and brings her before Merlin’s tomb, where his spirit announces her destined marriage and lineage.
- Protected inside a magical circle, Bradamante watches spirits represent her descendants as the enchantress describes their deeds.
- Asked about two sorrowful figures, the enchantress weeps, urges compassion, and refuses further explanation.
- The enchantress guides Bradamante toward the coast and explains how Brunello’s ring counters the magic protecting Ruggiero’s prison.
- Bradamante meets Brunello at an inn; both give false accounts of themselves before a loud noise interrupts them.

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In this canto
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What happens when Brunello puts the ring in his mouth?

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