#marullo

most of the courtiers in rigoletto are a hivemind of course but i’m fascinated with the three that we see with given names and personalities because they are all so fucked up in their own ways. you’ve got borsa who seems to purposefully be as ingratiating to the duke as possible in order to protect his own status against the other courtiers. you’ve got Little Bitchboy Syndrome count ceprano, who seems to be bullied somewhat by the rest of the court and yet immediately turns that energy around into bullying rigoletto… who, to be fair, is also insulting him but a) the courtiers goad him into doing so and b) rig is so desperate for some kind of fucked up belonging that he’s like Yeah! i Will do that! (also makes it interesting how, despite the other courtiers dunking on him, ceprano is still listened to by them.) and then you’ve got marullo, who’s specifically mentioned to be the most gentle and kind courtier when in reality he’s among one of the most insidiously cruel ones who only pretends to be the friendly one so the courtiers can gang up on people better, and it’s him that does some of the most horrible things the courtiers do over the course of the show… some fucked up high school lunchroom dynamics going on here. i want to study them.